


Break my fall

by niamcuddles



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, College student Niall, M/M, Police Officer Liam, Smut, also some crime things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-03-29 19:36:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 147,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3908047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niamcuddles/pseuds/niamcuddles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a police officer was never an easy job, Liam wouldn't have imagined that it'd bring someone like Niall into his life and that they could ever grow so close under these circumstances. </p><p>If they only would've known who the guy was that was giving them so many sleepless nights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys im back, yay.  
> anyways... the usual, dont be mad if i cant update every 3 days, i promise i wont go over a week (again, ive never done that i think, but just so you know)  
> please let me know what youre thinking, i already got the whole plot planned out and im pretty excited about this story so, hopefully you guys will enjoy it :)
> 
> spoiler: the guy is not zayn.  
> hahaha im joking, youll know its not zayn after the first chapter sorry haha, i started writing this before zayn ruined his career.

Liam's fingers gripped tighter onto his gun as he pressed his back against the wall, heart bumping that tiny bit faster like it always did though he was more than focused, ready to pull the trigger at any time necessary, his breath going even, in and out, he had done this too many times to still be counting.

Harry was opposite of him, mirroring Liam's position perfectly, giving that tiny nod of his head that signaled that he was ready. Ready to follow Liam, to have his back no matter what happened, just like he had for the past four years, the older man would've trusted him with his life, no questions asked. 

Louis and Zayn had the back entrance covered, just to be sure, even if Liam was pretty sure that him and Harry had gotten it right because they usually did, something Liam liked to make sure of. If something happened, he would rather go down himself and take the blow than send his best friends and feel forever guilty for not protecting them. The fact that they were just as capable and trained as himself didn't do anything to lower his feelings of defense for them. 

Waiting for just another few seconds, Liam completely emptied his brain from everything that wasn't gonna be beneficial in his current position before soundlessly taking a step, angling his gun as he was about to step around the corner in dead silence. He was either going to get shot or shoot someone else, all he needed to do was be faster or his life would be over in the blink of an eye. 

"Police, lower your weapons." His voice sounded louder than usually in complete quietness before he took another step, his heart skipping a beat as he stepped around the corner, finger almost having pressed down the trigger as he stopped himself in his movement once he took the scene in in less than half a second. Shit. "Let the boy go and put down your gun, last chance."

Liam hadn't been expecting to find what he did, not at all, he tried not to let his eyes wander away from the masked men standing almost in the middle of the room, tried not to stare at the two bodies by his feet or the red tainted tiles, the broken glass and shattered chairs. No, almost his full attention belonged to the boy the man was holding with his back pressed against his own chest and using as a shield, a hand covering his mouth to drown out the whimpers but not the tears streaming down his face. A gun being held to his temple. One wrong movement and Liam would get this kid killed, he couldn't be very old and he was shivering, blood dripping down from a wound on the side of his forehead, a flinch going through his body as the man holding him spoke up, his voice sounding amused if anything. "Why don't you put down yours or you can scrub up this kid's brains from the floor in a minute."

"Let him go immediately." Before Liam could answer, Harry had stepped up next to him, his gun also aimed at the masked man while the older man's head was starting to hurt from trying to think so hard of what to do. Where the fuck were Zayn and Louis?! He couldn't let this boy die and he wouldn't, no innocent person was ever gonna die at Liam's fault, never. "I SAID LET HIM GO!"

"You have five seconds to put down your guns or I'll shoot him. I shot the other two as well, three would make a much nice number, don't you think? Especially since he's such a pretty boy… if only he hadn't been dumb enough to try and run away, I almost left without saying hello." The boy's shaking increased at the words as the man was talking close to his ear, suddenly letting out a laughter that sent a chill down Liam's spine, very well aware of the gun being pressed harder against the crying boy's temple. His blonde fringe was tainted red on the tips by now, his wound didn't look deep but it was nevertheless bleeding, drops of it hitting the man's fingers, but he didn't seem to care or notice. "One."

"This is your last chance, if you let him go now we can end this in peace, you're trapped, there's no way for you to get out, we have-"

"Two more guys at the back door? Yeah, no, I doubt that, they have no chance of coming in, I know what I'm doing, trust me, _officer_." If the mask wouldn't have been hiding his face, Liam was sure there would've been a smug fucking grin on his face and he wanted to slap himself. Now it was only him and Harry, Louis and Zayn had no chance to get here in time and surprise the guy from behind, he was holding a fucking gun to this blonde boy's head and Liam's blood was freezing at the though of having to watch. Having to watch this boy die and forever having to live on knowing he could've saved him. Damn his fucking boss for not sending them any back up, but no because 'just these kids again trying to rob some store, trust me, we need our people somewhere else'. "Two."

"We will put down our guns, just let the boy go first, there's not point for you to shoot him, send him over to us and we'll let you go." Liam could tell that Harry was getting nervous because his arguments were getting fucking weak, not that he could've judged his friend for it because he himself felt quite helpless as well, his heart bumping faster now, hands getting sweaty as he grabbed a tighter hold around his gun, panicky trying to find some place he could aim the weapon at that wouldn't put the blonde boy at risk. 

"Of course. Three." At that the boy broke out into even more tears and Liam was seconds from just throwing his gun to the ground and give up, it wasn't worth catching this guy, they could still run after him, they could still call for back up, they needed to save this kid first.

"Let me shoot him, Liam, I can hit is head, let me kill this fucking-"

"NO! Fuck, Harry, you're gonna hit the boy, you-"

"Four." And that's when Liam's eyes got locked with the blonde's across the room, they weren't that far apart and time seemed to slow down as Liam just stared, his brain not working for a second, his breath almost stopping completely as he got caught up by the boy's widened blue eyes, more tears dripping out now and Liam had no idea what he was doing as he put both his hands in the air right as he saw the masked man's finger flinch. He would've shot him, no question.

"STOP! We'll put them down, okay? Harry, put down your gun." Liam was almost relieved as he slowly went down to place his weapon on the floor in front of his feet before getting back up, for the first time looking over at Harry who still had his gun aimed at the guy, sweat forming on his forehead and the older man could've punched him right now.

"I-"

"I said, put down your _fucking_ gun." He almost spat it out between clenched teeth, looking back at the boy now, he was still alive and breathing, his eyes pressed clothes now, the metal of the man's gun digging into his temple. 

When Harry complied, putting his empty hands up as well, Liam felt defeated yet he still knew he had down the right thing, even as the masked man let out another cringeworthy laugh, not making any attempts yet to let the boy go or anything. "That was almost too easy, wasn't it? Now, slide them over to me, with your feet, keep your hands where I can see them or pretty boy won't get to see it anymore."

There was nothing in Liam that he wanted to do less than this, especially because they weren't carrying anymore guns than these ones, this hadn't been supposed to be more than a robbery, he had had a bad feeling but they couldn't refuse order from above. And now it had gotten them here and they were gonna have to take full responsibility.

Yet of course he slid his gun over, his eyes never leaving the boy's face as he did so, relieved at hearing Harry doing the exact same next to him, both of them standing defenseless for a few seconds and this could've been it, the man could've shot both the boy and the two of them and just walked out of here like it was nothing. But he didn't.

Liam's brain wasn't working correctly, all he could feel was the same relief the blonde boy let out trough a deep breath once the gun disappeared from his temple. He still wasn't allowed to go yet though, the man kept on holding him as he bent down to collect the two extra weapons, stuffing them both in his belt before aiming his own gun right at Liam for only the time he spoke. "Embarrassing to think that some people's lives are depending on your incompetence."

And before Liam's brain could comprehend the fucking gun aimed at his head or take in the man's words, things went way too fast for him to react, he wasn't usually like this, there was only one incident he could recall where he would have ever behaved like this, so… incompetent.

Within the blink of an eye the masked man had moved his arm just enough and lowered it, not hesitating before pulling the trigger and almost simultaneously breaking the silence with the noise of his gun and Harry's scream as all blood drained from Liam's face and he almost broke his neck turning his head to stare at his friend going down, hands pressed onto the side of his leg. They were gonna die, they were all gonna die and it would be Liam's fault only, no one else's, just his.

Before he could figure out where Harry had been hit or do as much as blink or gasp, a heavy weight hit him in the chest and Liam automatically gripped onto it, he hadn't been paying enough attention, he had been watching his friend and maybe exactly that had been the goal of him getting shot in the first place. 

Not that any of it made sense for Liam as he promptly lost ground under his feet, not being able to catch himself because of the surprise effect and the force, stars dancing in front of his eyes for a second as his head met the tiles, all air being pressed out of his lunges at whatever landed heavily on top of him. Was that it?

His ears felt stuffed full of cotton as Liam tried to get his orientation back, his sight being too dizzy though and the lack of hearing not helping with anything, all he knew was that someone was yelling and there was a loud noise and whatever was on top of him was moving and his fingers were grabbing onto a piece of clothing unconsciously. 

"Liam… Liam, fuck, you alright, mate?! Liam, can you hear me?!" That was definitely Harry's voice, which was a huge relief, he wasn't dead, he was just screaming into Liam's ear like a bloody insane guy, panic filling his voice and giving the older man a twist to the stomach, a sharp pain in his head keeping him from nodding for a second. 

"'m fine…" There was something else besides Harry's screaming, another voice maybe and it took Liam a bit to fully realized what was going on again, to blink his eyes open, immediately loosening his fingers once he realized what he was holding onto and what was happening. "Fuck… fuck, Haz, the guy, did he-"

"He ran away. I would've run after him but I have no gun and he was too quick and my leg fucking burns, that fucking asshole knew what he was doing, he didn't even want to shoot me, he just cut my leg so I wouldn't be able to run. And then he shoved the boy into you so you'd fall and… wait, are you okay by the way?" His attention shifted to the boy now who was still kinda on top of Liam in a very awkward position and the brunette man took time to properly look at him for the first time, quickly realizing what was up with him, despite the tears still rolling down his cheeks and the bloody mess on his left side from the wound on his forehead. His eyes were wide and he was barely moving, not even properly reacting to Harry's question. "He's in shock. I'll call for back up and an ambulance, maybe Louis and Zayn were quick enough to run after him."

Liam highly doubted the last part but he just nodded slowly, not fully able to react properly, he knew they should've acted more quickly now to maybe still catch the guy but his head was hurting and he was just _so_ relieved to see the blonde boy alive and with only minor injuries. He could've died because of Liam, there were two dead bodies lying a few meters away and there could've been a third one if they had had hesitated for one more second. Or five if the guy hadn't let them all stay alive, which… was very questioning but nothing Liam had time to analyze in his current situation.

While Harry called for help, Liam attempted to sit up slowly, holding onto the boy so he wouldn't startle him or something, but he was just staring anyways, simply sitting on the floor when Liam had sat them both up, his head hammering and a weird feeling settling his stomach that he pushed away as he stared into the boy's face, keeping his hand on his arm. "Hey, are you alright? You're save now, I promise, he's gone, okay? Are you feeling dizzy or sick, anything?"

There was no answer, just an empty look and more tears, Liam sighed internally, but he understood of course, this wasn't the first time he was talking to a victim and it surely wouldn't be the last time either.

"You think you can stand up? I got you, alright? Come on." Maybe getting to their feet wasn't the best idea ever, but Liam was very worried about the other two and he needed to get his mind off what had just happened, off how badly they had fucked it up because they really had.

The blonde boy barely helped so Liam basically just pulled him to his feet himself, which wasn't very hard since he was extremely light, shivering once they were both standing again and the clearly older man kept his hands on the boy's shoulders, ignoring the pain in his head as he firmly looked into these blue eye's again, trying to somehow keep the attention on himself. "Look at me, okay? Don't look anywhere else, you're save now, nothing is going to happen to you, we're gonna help you, I promise. Can you tell me your name? Or anything that happened? Is anyone else still in here? Maybe hiding?"

After a few more seconds of just staring, Liam almost wanted to give up and just go search for a tissue to maybe stop the bleeding on the boy's head a little bit when he started shaking his head a little bit, sniffing quietly as more tears were pooling in his eyes, his voice cracking and barely audible. "N-No… j-just m-me and… he… he k-killed them, I-I…"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, don't think about it, it'll be fine, I promise, okay? I promise you're gonna be okay, you… what's your name, can you tell me?" Liam grabbed tighter onto the boy's shoulders, glad that he was talking now even if he was barely choking the words out, blinking rapidly, maybe to get rid of the tears but they just kept coming, mixing up with the blood.

"N-Niall… " Liam wasn't sure if he had understood correctly but he just nodded anyways, opening his mouth to say anything else to reassure the boy, to just keep on talking, but he wasn't fast enough before there was another sob, louder this time. "I… I'm s-sorry…"

No idea what he was apologizing for, Liam was well aware that the boy was probably not thinking clearly, he wanted to tell him that it was fine, that there was nothing to apologize for but before he could even think of something, he had to stumble back yet again when the boy, Niall, simply flung himself at Liam, his arms almost hurting around the man's waist as he just kept holding on, pressing his bloody and teary face into Liam's uniform while crying quite noisily, shaking pretty badly against him. At least he isn't dead, was all Liam could think as he hugged back with a sigh to maybe calm the boy a bit, it's been a while since they had had an incident like this. And even longer since they had had one where they had literally messed up five minutes after going in. "It's gonna be okay, Niall, I'll keep you safe… you okay, Harry? What's your leg doing?"

Harry was done calling for help and the others, he was on his feet as well but limping slightly, shrugging at Liam's question as he watched his friend and the blonde boy, his face slightly crunched up. "I'll be fine, just… it bugs me that we didn't get him, I… I'm sorry I wanted to shoot him, I was just… I wasn't thinking and I should've. I'm sorry, Li, we should've put our guns down right away, I…"

"I know. I didn't expect it either, this was so well planned and-"

Before Liam could continue, he felt Niall flinching heavily against him at some noise, the boy was still crying and clinging to Liam, of course not being able to see that the two guys walking in all noisily were Louis and Zayn, not very happy expressions on their faces. Actually, they seemed to be kinda furious and there Liam's hope about them catching the guy vanished into thin air. This guy had just gotten away from four cops after robbing a fucking coffee shop and killing two people without a single problem, even having had the time to insult them.

"What the _fuck_ was that fucking idiots plan, how much cash did he even get from breaking into here, how long did he even have this planned, this doesn't make any bloody sense and… fuck, babe, what's with your leg?!" Louis interrupted his swearing immediately once he saw Harry and Liam made sure to look away from them quickly, focusing on rubbing Niall's back absently as Zayn walked up to him, a very puzzled yet concentrated expression on his face.

"He's right though, you know… we were trying to get in through the back entrance, but no chance, it was both locked and also blocked from inside, we didn't know what to do, we couldn't even make too much noise. I'm sorry, Li, it's our fault." He always took the blame, Liam was shaking his head already before fully listening to it, his mind running wild now was he tried to somehow make sense of any of this, but there was still a slight pain in the back of his head and some missing pieces that wouldn't allow him to get a clear picture.

"It's not. We understated the situation, we came in here and he was…" But Liam stopped himself as he realized the boy clinging to him still could hear him as well, just throwing a look at Zayn and hoping that the other man understood. Maybe Harry had already filled them in anyways, Liam hadn't been listening to him before, he still felt slightly dizzy now but it was getting better by the second, now he was much more worried about Harry and the general situation. Well, and the boy apparently not ever wanting to let go of him again.

"I know. Did you call an ambulance for the boy?" Zayn went looking around the place still with his gun pulled and Liam turned his head when his friend got down next to one of the dead bodies on the floor. He had seen things like this too many times, it didn't mean he was immune to it. 

"Harry did… hopefully also for himself." Though he didn't seem to be too bad. Harry and Louis were still arguing over the younger man's leg and Liam would've smiled and shaken his head at them had they not been in this situation, he still couldn't believe it had come this far on a rather eventless day, and now they were here, Harry had almost been shot in the leg, there were two dead bodies, Liam had a shivering boy in his arms and he had no single clue how any of this could've happened.

The ambulance took a while to get there, Liam had to almost force Niall to walk outside with him, ready to carry the boy too in case he would have refused altogether. It wasn't hard to see that he was more than just freaked out and terrified and Liam couldn't do anything else but go with him since Niall wouldn't let go of him in the slightest way, not even when he got his face cleaned and his wound looked at, crying the whole time through with this empty look on his face that Liam had seen way too often. 

This was going to be a very long day for sure.

 

———————

 

"We can't have that, Liam, we really can't. There was four of you, _four_ , and you let him get away?!" Of course Liam had known there'd be yelling and that he'd be the only one sitting in their chef's office having to listen to it. Not because the other guys were leaving him to take the blame but because Zayn had something else to do and Harry was still getting his leg checked and the day Louis would leave his boyfriend alone after he got injured was gonna be the day hell froze over. 

"He was holding a gun to the boy's head, he shot Harry and two people before that, he had this all planned out, what was I supposed to do? It seemed like he knew how many of us were coming too, he was laughing the whole time, he was enjoying this." Liam's head was hurting from all the thinking he had done up to this point, he had been with Niall waiting for him to get some bandaids put on and then someone had picked them up to bring them back to the police station, the blonde boy hardly complying to letting go of Liam though. So now he felt kinda guilty but nevertheless still as clueless as before.

"He stole a total of 120 pounds in cash, I doubt he had this planned, who kills two people and threatens to kill a third one for that little amount of money? Either that guy was crazy or he was just lucky he managed to get away from you, either way I doubt he had this planned out or knew who was coming, he-"

"He blocked the back entrance and-"

"Yeah, well, would _you_ leave the backdoor open if you were about to rob a shop, Liam?" Great, Liam hated when the conversation got like this, he resisted hard to roll his eyes, knowing that it wouldn't have gotten him nowhere at all anyways. He hadn't caught the guy and that was all that mattered here. "No, you wouldn't. We have no trace of this guy, he could be anyone, we don't know what he looks like or what his motives were, there have been no other incidents like this anywhere around, as of now we have to assume he was just some guy robbing a coffee shop. And not a totally planned through murderer." 

"He was waiting for us, inside, with his gun to the boy's head, he could've long been gone. He could've killed all three of us and he didn't, he just ran away, he-"

"Because it was obvious that back up would be coming. And the only person who really knows how long he was waiting is the boy, but we can't really ask him too many questions because he's still in shock and he's breaking down into tears every few minutes. We got a psychologist speaking to him right now so I'm hoping anything will come out of this soon." With that, he sat down behind his desk again after having walked up and down the whole time, letting out a sigh that got Liam slightly angry.

"You don't even care about this, do you? You don't care if we catch him." It was obvious that Liam was about to cross a line, no one else could've really spoken to their boss like this but all the brunette man received was a short glare. Didn't mean it would've been a wise decision to keep pushing further though.

"Of course I care, Liam, people were killed, one of my men was shot, but we have nothing to look into, you let him get away and the only witness is a 18 year old college student who can't speak more than 2 sentences in a row. The chances of catching this guy aren't very high as of now." So Niall was only 18, Liam had thought he was young but maybe not that extremely young, maybe his face had looked older when it had been full of blood and tears and he had been clinging to the older man for his dear life. "We're looking into this, don't worry. But I don't want you to work on this case."

"Why? Just because I chose not to let the boy die?" Not that Liam was so keen on getting this case, just… he still fully believed that what he had done had been right, he wouldn't have been able to look into Niall's eyes while the man shot him, he wouldn't have been able to keep on living after this.

"No, not because of that. Look, I just don't want you to get caught up in some theory or whatever, maybe the guy had it planned and maybe he didn't, we're gonna find out, but I want you and Styles to do your regular routines and nothing else." Leaning back in the chair, Liam shook his head slowly as he looked down at the desk in front of him, he knew why he wasn't allowed to work on this case, why his theories weren't being taken that seriously, even if they got backed up by the other three. He knew and there was nothing he'd be able to do or say that'd change anyone's minds. "Also, I want you to talk to the boy… Niall Horan is his name I believe. I heard he was refusing to let go of you the whole time so maybe he'd be more willing to tell you something."

"I doubt it, he was just scared and in shock, why would he tell me anything?" Again, Liam also knew why he was being sent to talk to him, he kinda wanted to as well, he'd probably never see the boy again after today but he still somehow felt a need to make sure he was alright.

"Just talk to him, alright?" There was nothing to argue anymore, Liam just hesitated before nodding, waiting for his okay to leave before getting up slowly, kinda already stuck in thoughts again yet still slightly annoyed, only reaching the door though before being held back. "And Payne? Don't get caught up in this, okay?"

"I'll try." Liam only half joked before leaving, not really interested in having a further conversation about this when he knew exactly that it wasn't gonna go anywhere. His boss could be like that sometimes and then Liam hated his guts, but he couldn't really because this man had done a lot for him in the four years they had known each other, it's just when it came to things like this that their opinions split.

There was no doubt for Liam that something was up with this guy, it had seemed to be kinda set up and all the other three agreed on that, but since he wasn't allowed to look into it, there was nothing Liam could do. Also, he wasn't exactly planning on asking Niall a lot of questions now, the boy was scared for his life now probably, with a very good reason, hopefully he'd be able to quickly move past this, not that Liam cared that much, it was never a good idea to get on a too friendly basis with the victims.

Walking through the station felt kinda weird now, especially because everyone was just doing their normal job and all, but it always was like this whenever anything happened and maybe Liam should've been used to it by now, but he never quite got rid of that strange feeling afterwards.

Liam knew in which room Niall was so he just knocked a few times before simply opening the door, this was also not the first time he was being sent to talk to someone. At the first look, Niall maybe didn't look so bad anymore, which probably was mostly because the blood and the tears were gone. On the second look though, his face was pale and he had a huge bandaid on his forehead, plus he was all curled up in the corner of the couch, apparently not very willing to talk to the woman in the chair in front of him, his eyes immediately darting to Liam once the older man entered, getting stuck on him.

"Sorry, am I interrupting? I was wondering if I could talk to Niall for a bit." Didn't seem like there was anything to interrupt because that would've required Niall to have participated in the conversation, but he just sat there, eyes wide, never leaving Liam's face or moving more than a centimeter. "Only if it's okay for him of course."

Before the psychologist could answer, Niall was already almost choking on his voice and Liam felt a tug in his stomach for having left the boy alone before, but he hadn't had a choice and it also wouldn't have been a good idea to let him cling to him like that. "Y-Yeah… it's okay…"

"Alright, I'll see you later, Niall, okay?" The woman smiled at the boy before getting up, Liam only greeted her with a head nod, she worked for them a lot but he had never really found the time to talk to her, or the interest, so he wasn't very surprised at not getting anything back.

As soon as they were alone, Liam tried to relax his face, he wasn't wearing his uniform anymore but a normal white shirt, Niall's blood had been all over his clothes so he had been forced to change. Hopefully this way it'd be less intimidating for the blonde boy, he did look kinda nervous though still, and pale as hell, which probably had other reasons than Liam being in here though.

"How are you doing?" Slowly approaching the now empty chair, Liam tried to move carefully, keeping his eyes on Niall as he sat down, hoping to act casual.

"I'm… fine." The boy answered with a rather shaky voice, obviously lying. He clearly had no idea what to do, sometimes looking at Liam's face then away to stare at the wall, always keeping his arms wrapped around his knees to press them to his chest, a clear sign that he was probably anything besides fine. "I… I'm sorry for… for getting your clothes bloody and for… not wanting to let you go, I… "

"Don't worry about that, it's alright, I get it. That was quite a scary situation, your reactions are completely normal, I'd be more worried if you had behaved differently." Liam smiled, kinda forced but he was pretty sure the boy couldn't tell the difference anyways since he wasn't paying that much attention, he was just speaking quietly, obviously somewhere else with his thoughts as he just nodded along slowly. 

"Did they… did they send you to talk to me? I already told them everything I know…" Somehow Liam felt like she should've told the boy he had come here out of his own will, he maybe would have, but he didn't wanna lie either so he decided to go with the truth for whatever reason.

"Yeah, they did. Mostly because they usually send me to talk to the victims." Liam had studied psychology as well and specialized in these kinda cases, that's why his boss had sent him, but also because of obvious reasons, because he thought Niall would want to talk to Liam the most. "But I would've come to see you anyways and it's fine if you don't have anything left to tell me, I'm just checking up on you. Have they already offered to call anyone for you?"

"Um… yeah." He gulped and Liam immediately regretted having asked, it was clear that no one had come obviously, the reason why was a different one though but he decided not to push or anything. Which was unnecessary because Niall carried on anyways, after a rather nervous laughter, biting around on his thumbnail now. "Uh… I don't really have anyone to call, so… "

"Okay. You know, we can also bring you somewhere if you feel unsafe and don't wanna stay alone." Because it seemed quite like it, Liam wondered about Niall's parents or relatives, but he didn't ask, it wasn't his place and even though the boy was only 18, he was off age and therefore free to do whatever he pleased. 

"No, I… I think I'll go home and… " Then nothing, he just shrugged nervously and Liam started to feel bad again, he kinda had a feeling this wouldn't be a good idea but he wasn't gonna say anything about it, he couldn't force the boy to do anything at all, they couldn't keep him here or even make him go to therapy, nothing, he was 18 and if he wanted to, he could get right up and leave. "And then I… I'll call my boss and… quit my job probably… or so…"

"You…" For a second or two, Liam didn't get it but then it made click and he started to feel even worse for Niall. "You worked there."

"Yeah…" Nodding, the boy briefly look at Liam's face before swallowing, his thumbnail still in his mouth as he continued, it seemed like he kinda wanted to talk about it but not really at the same time, it was like he couldn't stop himself from doing it anyways. "I was the only one who… who had shift today and… and I felt weird when that guy came in and went straight to the toilets, I… usually I'd have to force him to buy something, but… I didn't and… and then he came back and…"

"Wait… you saw his face? He had no mask on before that? He just came in?" Well, that was a strange turn of events, Liam couldn't help but automatically lean forward and sound more interested, even if the boy shivered a little as he nodded shakily.

"Yes… he looked at me. Right when he walked in. And then… he looked around and… I think he was counting the costumers and… as soon as he came back and I saw the mask, I… I pressed the button to… call the police and he had his gun aimed at the woman and I… I don't know what happened, I was hiding, but… but I tried to run and he got me and then…then I saw that they were all dead and…I don't know how much time passed by or… it all went so fast… "

"He wasn't out for the money." Liam finished his own thoughts out loud, confirming his own theory and getting slightly mad at thinking that his boss didn't take this seriously enough despite that, a shiver running down his spine at what he thought of next then when he looked at Niall again. "He knows that you know. He knows you're the only person that saw his face."

"Yes… " Niall mumbled and if it was any possible he got even paler, maybe that was the source of his fear, he hadn't seen the other two get shot at least, hadn't watched them dying, Liam could only imagine what that would've done to someone like him. "But… but they asked me and… I can't remember properly, I… he had an average face, I… do you think he's gonna try to find me? You're gonna catch him, right? He… won't kill me, right?"

That was when Liam hesitated, he knew he wasn't allowed to give out any information, or say anything that would've caused Niall to panic, just… he needed to make sure the boy knew that maybe he wasn't the safest person around anymore as soon as he left this place on his own. "Of course we're investigating this, but… you might wanna think about what I said before, about us bringing you somewhere safe. The decision is yours though, you're free to do whatever you please."

"I… I can't leave, I… I gotta go to uni and… " There was fear in his voice, Liam could only hope that his boss was serious about trying to find the guy because he didn't feel very good about this, he knew Niall was scared but that maybe he was a bit shy to accept the offer, Liam surely wasn't the first person to tell him this so he had obviously already made up his mind about wanting to go home. 

"I understand. Maybe you have someone to stay with for a bit? So you're not alone, I don't know… friends, family?" Asking that seemed to have been a bad idea because the boy's face immediately changed and Liam could only guess what that meant, Niall's answer not really helping to ease his slight worries.

"No…" So he had no one at all, no friends or family and the older man had no idea what that meant whatsoever, he also wouldn't keep on asking, he had no choice, Niall had obviously already been asked about everything and informed about further steps, the incidents was already a few hours in the past, there was nothing left for Liam to do. This wasn't his own case after all.

"Alright. If you change your mind you can do so whenever, just so you know, alright? I'm gonna send the psychologist back in, okay?" Rule number one, don't get too caught up in people's business or care too much, Liam knew that one way too well, he couldn't stay and chat with the boy, even if he saw his face falling as he made attempts to get up. 

"Are you… are you gonna go now?" His voice was even thinner than before if any possible and Liam felt a tug to his heart but he left his facial expression neutral, getting to his feet anyways, eyes still on the small boy curled up on the couch now looking up at him with big eyes.

"Yeah, you'll be informed about other further steps by someone else, alright? I… good luck, Niall." No idea with what, but Liam felt the need to say something before leaving, he felt guilty now but that was nothing new, if he would let himself get caught up with every single victim he talked to then he could as well quit his job altogether.

"O-Okay, thanks …" And then, right before Liam opened the door to walk back outside, hand already on the handle, the boy caused him to stop in the movement for a second, his voice only really quiet, almost impossible for Liam to catch. "Thank you for saving me…"

For a moment, Liam thought about turning back around to look at him but he decided against it, knowing it wouldn't have been a good idea, so instead he just carried on opening the door, saying what would be most appropriate in the situation. "You're welcome."

The psychiatrist was still next to the door, so Liam let her go in again without really looking at her, this was done now, at least for him, there was no need to spend any more thoughts on this, especially not about what Niall had told him or the fact that he hadn't really saved him at all. He had just done what a decent human being would have done, he wasn't gonna let innocent people get shot in front of his eyes, he was a cop after all.

Liam wasn't quite sure what to do now, his shift was over already but he still wanted to find the others somewhere, to check on Harry and all, maybe talk this through again, but he never really go the chance to do that because after barely five steps, he was stopped immediately. Again, his boss of course, he should've know. "How'd it go?"

"Fine. He had nothing new to tell me, he's scared shitless and the guy knows what he looks like but he still wants to go home. Not sure if that's a good idea, but since this isn't my case…" Yeah, Liam maybe was slightly mad still, he was trying to get past it but he couldn't really, especially not after what he had heard a few minutes ago. 

"Yeah, I know, but we can't force him to stay here. The boy has no one to call either, his parents are dead and he has no friends or relatives to stay with." Oh. That felt like a punch to Liam's guts but he just shrugged on the outside, ignoring the feeling and keeping a straight face, again, not his place to say anything. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually."

"Why?" Liam wasn't gonna go in there again and force the boy to do anything or try to convince him, he had done his part, what else did his boss want from him? "Didn't you say I shouldn't get too involved?"

"Yeah, I meant with the case itself, not the boy. Let's go to your office." Awesome, Liam had no idea where this was gonna lead to yet he had no choice but to comply, suppressing a sigh and simply nodding, he was probably not gonna see Harry or any of the others today anymore.

Liam's office was on another floor, he wasn't too sure what his boss could want from him now but he was pretty certain he was gonna have to talk to Niall again, something he would've really liked to avoid if any possible. It wasn't good, to dwell on these cases for so long, especially not when the boy pulled such sad faces whenever Liam left again. He got it though, he really did, the kid had no one else and Liam had been the one talking to him first and staying with him, but that didn't mean he could allow Niall to somehow get attached to him.

As soon as they were behind closed doors again, Liam immediately turned to watch his boss again, staying by the door while the older man walked to the window, not looking at Liam but rather outside, his back turned towards the brunette man. "So what do you wanna talk to me about? It's not my case, like you said, what do I have to do with it then?"

"Well, Liam… you know how valuable you are for me. You always do excellent work and just because this time was a bit… different, I would still never want you to stop working for me." Alright, now, if he was gonna hold a lecture Liam wouldn't be able to bite his tongue and not interrupt but he still tried his hardest, resisting the urge to look at the clock on the wall. "And when you wanted to quit back then, I was very happy you decided against it after all."

"You know why I stayed." Liam's voice maybe sounded a bit too harsh, this was the last topic he ever wanted to talk about and everyone knew it, but it was true though, he had wanted to quit, had wanted to only specialize in talking to and consulting the victims, not be police officer anymore, but circumstances had made him keep his job in the end. Very much to everyone's pleasure, not that much to his own.

"I know. That's not what I wanted to talk about anyways, I was just saying, you do have excellent qualifications for both, and just because I don't want you to work on the case doesn't mean I can't need you for something else. Like I said, I want you to do your routines with Styles, but additionally, I want you to do something else." Now Liam did listen more closely, he wasn't sure if he wanted to have anything to do with this case if he wasn't the one investigating, but it wasn't like he had a choice after all.

"And what is that?" When his boss finally turned around, Liam could tell from his facial expressions that this wouldn't end well and he turned out to be more than just right, even if the reason why would've never come to his mind.

"I want you to take the boy home with you, for a week at least, and as far as he agrees of course, which I think he will though. I know you live alone and I know you have enough space, I need you to drive him to therapy because he already agreed to do that, and also to college, and pick him back up." What… was he being fucking serious?!

"No." Was all that came to Liam's mind, his face going completely blank, because… what the fuck?! "This is not a usual thing to do, you told me to stay away from the case, you tell us to not get emotionally involved, how can I not do that when I spend so much time with him? When he _lives_ with me? This is not usual procedure, I can't-"

"You can and you will, Liam. Listen, I can't have this kid being killed, alright? We have no information about his guy yet, nothing, this boy is the only one who knows what he looks like and even if he can't recall it or draw a picture, he might be able to recognize him. And the other way around. He's incredibly fragile and in shock, we can't let him go home alone like that, if he has no one, who would even call us in case he went missing? He could be dead tomorrow and we wouldn't even know and then there would be not even one witness left. If he doesn't agree to letting us keeping him safe we're gonna have to give him other options." Something in Liam urged him to agree, but he kept shaking his head still, even if he wouldn't have a choice in the end, he wasn't gonna give in so easily, especially not when he knew his boss so well.

"Why me? Why not someone else? Anyone could do this, why-"

"Because I know you, Liam, and because he is most likely to agree if it's you, he's most familiar with you. And because you have the right qualifications. Listen, I know this is not a usual thing to do and this is not a punishment either, but I need you to do this. We need this boy alive, not only for moral reasons but also for others, it's just for a week first off, just make sure he's fine, maybe he tells you some more, maybe he remembers some details, just make sure he won't end up dead." It was kind of a punishment though and Liam knew but he didn't say it out loud, he knew he was gonna have to do this and as much as he wanted Niall to be alright, he didn't want to be the one who had to make sure of it. 

"I thought you didn't care about the case? Thought you said the guy is just someone who randomly robbed a coffee shop?" The sarcastic tone came through a bit but Liam ignored the glare he got for that, he knew how far he could go, making no secret about it that he was pissed off about what he'd have to do.

"He's still a murderer, and though I do not believe there is anything more to this, we can never be sure. Two people were killed, Liam, I'm not gonna let it be three just because some college kid thinks he should go home alone now, especially not when he's the only witness. Anyways, my personal opinion doesn't matter, you're gonna do this regardless of it, if the boy agrees of course, I'm gonna send someone to offer it to him." And he would agree, Liam somehow knew that for sure and he hated it, hated the fact that Niall was trusting him like this, that he had wanted him to stay and talk to him before, he knew he shouldn't be doing this and he'd have to play it well if he didn't want the boy to get too attached. It wouldn't be good if he did.

 

—————

 

"Mate, it's not such a bad idea you know, he seemed really hysterical and stuff, like, not saying the situation wasn't appropriate and all, but he's probably gonna get himself killed an hour after going home. Do we even know why his parents are dead and why he has no friends or something?" Maybe Liam regretted having let the other 3 into his office once his boss had left after another short discussion with the same outcome, but then again… at least they were on his side if it came to the guy that had killed 2 people and robbed the coffee shop. Not so much when it came to Niall though.

"No. That's not even the point, Louis, just… I don't wanna do this. What if I can't protect him? And what if we don't find the guy, I can't forever keep the boy with me, how strange would that be? I can't have him getting attached, I know he can't stay alone, but why should it be me?" Well, they all knew why, it had kinda been a rhetorical question and Liam sighed heavily before continuing to type into his computer, he still had to file a report and it wasn't easy with 3 other people in the room.

"Li, you know he'd be in much greater danger if he didn't go home with you, and I'm pretty sure you are perfectly capable of protecting him. We understated the guy today, it won't happen a second time even if no one's taking it that seriously, we are and I know you are too. And we all know you're gonna do a great job at this, that's why the chief chose you. Also… the boy did cling to you for quite long." Zayn was right but Liam still didn't want to get it into his head, he hated the idea of being responsible for Niall, of course he wanted him safe, but… not like this, he couldn't guarantee anything and he'd hate himself forever if anything happened. Wouldn't be the first time.

"He clung to me because I was the only option available. Anyways, I don't think it's a good idea regardless of anything… I don't want him to get attached and I also don't… I just don't want it." Yeah, no need to explain it, it was no one's business anyways but Liam still felt his cheeks turning a bit hotter, he knew he had kinda given himself away because it went quiet for a bit, only his typing audible in the room before Harry cleared his throat a bit.

"I know what you mean, Liam, but he's just a boy, right? He has no one and if you can make him feel saver until this is over then that's good, right? Doesn't mean you're never gonna get rid of him again or something, it's just for a little while. I'm sure they're gonna find the guy soon." That was obviously a lie so Liam ignored it, he didn't need to be reassured like a cild or something, it wouldn't make him want to do this any more. "Anyways, maybe he does tell you something new, you never know, right?"

"Right…" Not very convinced, Liam decided there was no need to talk about this anymore, his friends obviously had another view on this and it's not like they could have helped him to get out of this anyways ,so he decided to turn around in his spinning chair, ignoring the weird stares he got as he simply and very obviously switched the topic. "How's your leg?"

Louis and Harry shared a look before the younger man answered with a shrug, he had been limping a bit while entering Liam's office before so the question seemed to be rather appropriate. "It's fine, didn't get deep, just hurt like a bitch before. But it's getting better now, Louis thinks I'm gonna have to get it amputated, but-"

"I never even said that, Haz, don't-"

"But I'm pretty sure I'll be fine." Then he smirked as he turned to his boyfriend, causing Liam to roll his eyes at Zayn because if there was one thing these two knew how to do, it was getting a bit too intimidate in the most inappropriate situations. "But I do think it might change a thing or two later when we're alone."

"I-"

"Alright, guys, let's leave Liam to do this, we can talk tomorrow." Zayn saved the day by simply cutting Louis off, Liam threw a thankful look at him, not that he was so keen on being left alone now, but it would still be better than discussing his friend's bed stories. Again.

Although, maybe that would've still been better than going downstairs in a bit to see Niall again and take the boy home with him, maybe Liam would just need a little longer to file this report tonight, after all, it was quite a lot to write and… he didn't need a reason, did he? He'd be home soon enough, his only concern was the fact that he wouldn't be going alone and he had no bloody idea how to handle this.

He couldn't have this end in a bad way, not now when so much responsibility was put upon him, he was used to doing his job and then going home and trying to push the current day's events into the back of his head. Having Niall there wouldn't allow him to ever do that, he was gonna get caught up in the case and if anything went terribly wrong in the end like it sometimes did, he was gonna be too emotionally involved to let it go again. 

And it wouldn't have been the first time either.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the nice feedback so far! :) hope you guys will like that chapter too!

Niall's heart was bumping fast, it had the whole day long actually, ever since he had come to work, his anxiety slightly becoming that bit worse whenever he went there, even though he should've been used to it already. And now he'd never get the chance to.

The images were still ever so present in his mind and whenever he shortly closed his eyes, it was like he was right there again, he could almost feel the cool metal of the gun being pressed against his temple, the pounding wound of his forehead pumping out more blood to drip down the side of his face, mixing with his never stopping tears. The harsh, gross smell of the man's sweaty palm pressed over his mouth to drown out his whimpers, the two dead, unmoving bodies lying to their feet, turning the tiles redder with every second passing while Niall's body wouldn't stop shaking or letting him grasp just one meaningful thought. 

He was never gonna get rid of these pictures, was never gonna be able to close his eyes without feeling that fright again, only one second away from his death, he could've been dead by now, but he wasn't. He was alive, had gotten away with only a minor injury on his head and enough nightmares to last a lifetime. All because of the man walking half a step in front of him.

Niall didn't know why they would offer that, he had never heard of such a thing even being an option, but he had been pretty convinced he didn't wanna leave this city or his uni, not again, this was his home, he couldn't have possibly left it behind. It was the only stability he had in his life.

But when they had offered he could go with the police officer that had saved him, Liam was his name, Niall had changed his mind, he had been terrified of going home on his own, not having anyone to talk to. Especially since he knew the man's face, but not well enough to describe it, he hadn't payed attention to it on purpose, but he still might have recognized him had he seen him again. And of course, that also worked the other way around. 

Still, Niall wasn't sure this was what Liam would have decided on his own, his boss had probably forced him to, but the younger boy had still accepted immediately though. This man was the only person that had somehow made him feel a bit safer, he was more than just grateful for this offer, he was gonna do anything Liam told him to, he just didn't want to have to be alone or have to leave to some place he didn't know, he could live with staying at someone else's apartment for a while. Especially if it was a police officer who could keep him safe.

They weren't talking the whole way to the car, Niall was doing his best to keep up, feeling more than just nervous, but he didn't wanna get onto the man's nerves so he waited for him to speak first, keeping his eyes low and trying his hardest to not freak out at the cold night air and darkness surrounding him. He had to believe he was safe, he couldn't let himself get caught up by that fear now, he needed to be strong and suck it up. Just like he always did.

"You can get in the passenger seat, you know, you don't have to sit in the back." Liam's voice made Niall flinch but he nodded quickly, his fingers slipping from the car door handle to go to the other one instead, carefully getting in just as the older man did. It was hard telling whether Liam really did care about what happened to Niall, of course he had stayed with him, let him seek comfort in his arms and later had come to talk to him, but because that was his job, not because he wanted to. Same applied to him taking Niall home, it was his job, nothing more probably, but Niall was still grateful either way. "Do you want me to drive to your place and get some stuff? Or can we do that tomorrow? I'll lend you some of my old clothes for now if that's alright."

"Yeah… yeah, that's alright… thank you." Niall had thanked him many times already but he never felt like it was enough, he kept his eyes on his lap after buckling in his seatbelt with stiff hands, trying to keep his leg from going up and down. Forgetting about today's events would be hard, but Niall was living with other memories too that he had never thought he'd be able to handle.

"You don't have to thank me the whole time, you know. It's my job, and if we can keep you safe somehow then that's what we do." See? That was why Niall felt slightly intimidated, he knew why they wanted him alive, he also knew that they probably really did want to keep him safe, but the fact remained that Niall knew the man's face and by chance would recognize him again as well. "If there's anything you wanna talk to me about… then you can, just so you know."

Waiting for Liam to start the car, Niall considered it for a moment before looking over at the man's profile for just a second. "I… I already told them everything I know before, but I can tell you again if you want, I… it's not much and obviously it wasn't very useful either and-"

"I didn't mean that. I meant if you wanted to talk about it in general, or if you wanted to ask me anything, I can imagine there's a lot on your mind and if I can help you somehow, just let me know." Oh. For a moment, Niall almost smiled a little bit but he kept it down then, knowing why Liam was saying this. Yeah… it would've kinda been nice to talk about it but Niall wouldn't have known where to start so instead he blurted out with the dumbest thing ever, his cheeks instantly turning hot of embarrassment.

"I… um… what should I call you?" Really, that's something that had been bugging Niall all along though, it did cause him to blush but when there was a noise from Liam that maybe was half a laugh, he didn't feel so bad anymore for asking. Sure, he thought of the man by his first name that he had heard from someone else, but… was that appropriate? He surely was a lot older than Niall too.

"Just by my name. It's Liam, if no one's told you, there's no need for formalities or something, I call you by your first name too… unless you don't want me to." Well, it would've both been too late for that and also, Niall couldn't have cared less, he knew he wasn't a child anymore, but he didn't feel very grown up either, even if he had to behave like it.

"No, of course, uh… of course you can call me by my name, um, … Liam." It was still kinda weird to say it but it made Niall feel a little bit better, he had managed to grow enough balls to turn his head and look out of the window by now, watching buildings and cars passing by as Liam drove, a slight shiver running down his spine as he imagined what might have been hiding in all these empty and dark side streets. Niall had never been the bravest person, or the most fearless, but he felt even more like a coward now after what had happened, not that it was such a surprise or an unnatural thing to feel, just… it wasn't helping him to get rid of his anxiety or get somewhat more confident. "How… how old are you? If I… If I can ask that, I'm sorry if that was rude, I'm sorry, I-"

"25. I've been a police officer for four years now, right after college, I also studied psychology if you wondered why you're going home with exactly me. But they also thought you might feel the most comfortable with me since… you know." Yeah, Niall knew, now he did feel slightly embarrassed for having clung to Liam like that and cried his uniform full and stained it with blood just… he had felt so shocked and scared and relieved, all at once, he had just needed someone to hold him and be there. Liam seemed to be quite muscular, he was also much bigger than Niall, so the younger boy had felt really safe with him, still did, even if he knew Liam was just doing his job, he knew he wasn't gonna let anything happen to him. "And I hope you do. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything, if you ever wanna go home then you can of course do that, this is just for your own safety but we can't and also wouldn't force you. But it would probably be the safest option while the case is being investigated and if you don't want to be brought anywhere else."

"No, I… I can't, um… I gotta go to, uh, college and… and do you think they're gonna find him soon? You think he would… that he'd look for me to…to kill me?" Gulping, Niall tore his eyes away from the window, looking over at Liam's profile now, not seeing much in darkness but still feeling a little bit better. He did look his age, and he was also rather attractive, Niall was very aware of that, had been the whole time, but he was too shy to look at him too often, they had a 7 year age gap after all and anyways, the situation was the most inappropriate to think that, but it didn't mean Niall couldn't enjoy stealing a few glances, right? Even if they were talking about these kinda things, if Liam was just doing his job, but he was doing it very well. 

There was some hesitation that Niall didn't like very much, he quickly looked away from Liam again to stare at his fingers in his lap, just in case, pulling at the skin next to his thumb, resisting to put the nail into his mouth to bite it like he always did out of nervousness. "We don't know what he might be capable of, or what he might be planning on doing, but… we're looking into it and there's no need for you to worry."

"Okay…" What choice did Niall have other than just taking this answer as enough? He knew Liam probably wasn't gonna tell him the truth anyways if that wasn't it, he probably wasn't even allowed to and it was good enough for him now to hear some reassurance, he wasn't gonna have to go home alone or leave, that's really all he cared about right now. "Thank you…"

This time there was no answer anymore, but Niall didn't mind, he kept staring out the window again for the rest of the drive, none of them really speaking anymore but it wasn't awkward or anything. The blonde boy felt safe for now, he was still scared, terrified actually, but it was bearable for the moment.

Liam lived in a part of the city Niall had never been to, maybe because he hadn't been to many places in general, he didn't like going around on his own that much and he had no one to take with him so it made sense that he mostly stayed at home when he wasn't at college or work. The feeling of not knowing where he was though wasn't very nice but there was nothing he could do about that, not that he had any reason to complain about anything right now. He was just gonna do whatever Liam told him to.

The older man parked the car in a garage, Niall didn't really like that very much because it was quite scary, but he had Liam to walk next to as they went for the elevators and he was pretty sure the man was carrying a gun so he wasn't too worried in that moment. 

"I don't have much to eat at home, I hope we'll find something for you, they didn't really give you anything at the station, did they?" Liam started as they waited for the elevator doors to close, his voice breaking through the silence once more and causing Niall to flinch slightly as he slowly shook his head.

"Um… no, they didn't…" He wasn't even sure if he was hungry or not, any basic human need seemed to have drained from him to make space for other feelings, but he assumed that he would have to be hungry after all. Hours and hours had passed since he had eaten this morning while thinking this would just be another normal day.

"Didn't think so. Well, we're gonna find something for you. I got an empty room too and another bed, you can have that for yourself of course, and tomorrow we can get stuff from your place if you need it. Do you have to go to college tomorrow as well?" His voice always sounded really professional, but Niall still liked to listen to Liam talking, it was kinda relaxing and calming, really deep too and it made the blonde boy feel slightly better as well. 

"Yeah… but only at eleven in the morning, I can-"

"Okay, I'll drive you. And pick you back up too when you're done, same goes for therapy, unless you decide not to go anymore, just let me know, yeah?" Not letting Niall finish, the older man was already fumbling with his keys and Niall swallowed a bit as he followed him out of the elevator into an empty hallway, doors on both sides. He had known how this would go down, that Liam was gonna drive him and all, just… he felt a bit guilty for it, he didn't wanna waste the man's time, he obviously had an important job to do.

"But I can also take the bus, I… it's not that unsafe for me, right?" Or maybe it was. The thought had Niall shivering a bit as he once again tried to keep up with Liam, he also wasn't very sure about this whole therapy thing, Niall had just agreed because well… maybe it'd help, right? He had been to therapy before, it was nice being able to talk to someone and he hadn't known he could stay with Liam when they had offered it to him. 

"No, but…" Then Liam randomly broke off, maybe to unlock his front door at the end of the hallway, maybe also because he didn't know what to say, Niall wasn't quite sure but he didn't like it that much. "It'd be safer if I drive you, and pick you back up. Trust me."

"I am…" Niall mumbled, suddenly getting a look for that from the older man that caused him to immediately stare at his feet again, he shouldn't have said that but it had slipped out somehow.

For a moment or two, it almost seemed as if Liam was about to say something, but he didn't in the end, simply opened up the door then, letting Niall walk in before following him, locking up immediately to the younger boy's relief. Being behind a locked door with a cop who had a gun was making things a whole lot better to be honest.

"Alright, I'll show you around if you want, but… maybe tomorrow, we should find some clothes for you to wear maybe, come on." Liam barely left Niall any time to take his shoes off as well before already walking through his apartment, it seemed to be quite big and all, a lot bigger than Niall's for sure, and it looked like one you would find in a magazine or so, everything was cleaned up, almost as if no one was ever in here. 

The younger boy got a bit caught up looking around and taking this in, for a moment almost able to forget his worries, he felt very safe here with Liam, just the thought of that he had almost gone to his own flat by himself seemed quite ridiculous now.

When they walked into a room which was what Niall assumed Liam bedroom, he felt a bit shy following the man inside, unconsciously twisting his fingers into the hem of his shirt as Liam went straight for his closet, starting to dig through it while Niall did his best to not look around the room too creepily. But he did look a little bit, at the few pictures on the wall at least, there were barely any people in them though, mostly landscape stuff, and none of Liam himself either. He seemed to keep his apartment free from personal stuff. 

"Okay, well… you're a lot smaller than me but I hope this will do, here's two shirts, and some sweatpants, we can get your clothes tomorrow. Also, I'm gonna give you a towel too so you can go shower if you want." Handing the clothes over to Niall, the younger boy almost let them drop right to the floor because he had been caught up creepily staring at something in Liam's room, cheeks turning bright red when he got caught, even if the older man never commented on it. "I'll show you where the bathroom is." 

"T-Thanks…" Once again following Liam to another room, Niall almost stumbled this time, he already felt hot about putting these clothes on, but even more when they reached the bathroom and Liam put a towel on the pile of stuff in Niall's arms, looking him in the eyes for a second, long enough to cause the blonde boy to get even redder. 

"Do you wanna go shower? If you need anything or if anything happens then just call me, alright? You can use whatever you find." There maybe was the hint of a smile on his lips but Niall could never quite tell with Liam, he never let his guard down, never really showed that much emotion, the only two times he had had been when Niall had told him that he knew how the masked man looked like, and of course in the coffee shop when it had happened and afterwards. Now though, he was just doing his job and it was very clear to see.

"Okay, thank you…" Just to say it one more time, Niall looked away from the man's face again to not get caught up or something, a bit of nervousness pooling in his tummy though as Liam simply nodded and turned to leave, about to leave Niall alone for the very first time since it had happened.

"You're welcome. If you're done, the kitchen is just around the corner, I'll see what I can find to eat, yeah?" His voice was a bit softer at the last part but Niall barely noticed, he found himself nodding, his movements a bit robotic after Liam had pulled the door closed after walking out of the bathroom, leaving the younger boy to himself.

For a few minutes, Niall just kinda stood there, staring into the mirror above Liam's sink, for the first time seeing his face after what had happened. God, had he been this pale all along? And was that big band aid really needed? He had only bumped his head a little bit while trying to hide… then again though, the details somehow slipped more and more out of Niall's mind, everything had gone so quickly and honestly, he was kinda glad about that. Thinking about it again now, while being alone in here, wouldn't be a very wise decision, so Niall tore his eyes away from his reflection, pushing today's events into the back of his head, into the deepest drawer and throwing away the key before beginning to strip off his clothes. He knew he'd have to deal with this at some point, that the memories would come back to haunt him, probably for the rest of his life, but now was not the time to break out into hysterical cries, Niall could keep himself together, he could do this, he got this.

Getting under a hot shower felt really good, helped to clear his mind too, even if the water burned when it hit Niall's bandaid, but he chose to ignore it. A few other parts of his body hurt as well, only slightly, it'd probably cause a few bruises but that was fine, nothing he wouldn't survive, right? 

Since Liam had told him to use whatever he found, Niall used the only shower gel he saw, even if he felt weird for it, but… he would've felt a bit weirder not doing it, and also slightly gross, it felt like washing away whatever had happened today, getting rid of it, just smelling the strong shower gel and feeling the water rush over his body, trying not to think of anything else. Especially not of how awkward the whole situation really was, of how much had happened in just a few hours and how Niall's life had once again been completely turned around. It was like he attracted these kinda things, the bad ones other people were never really put through, and he just stumbled from one to the other.

When Niall decided he couldn't possibly stay any longer under the shower without being rude, he quickly dried himself off with the towel Liam had left him, his hair still damp as he put on his own boxer shorts again and then the older man's clothes, almost getting lost a bit in the shirt, actually having to tie the strings of the sweatpants too if he didn't wanna lose them. Which he definitely didn't, because… well, for obvious reasons.

After that, he was faced with another problem, which was what to do with his own clothes and the second shirt, so after a moment of hesitating, Niall picked them all up, going onto a small search for the kitchen, not quite knowing what to say once he found it though, so he stopped in the doorway, watching Liam's back for a second, unsure of what to say to announce his arrival. Well, that turned out to be quite unnecessary anyways since Liam had somehow heard him, probably because he was a cop, Niall should've known.

"Sorry, I found nothing besides frozen pizza, hope that's alright. Are you okay?" Immediately once Liam had turned to face him, Niall felt slightly dumb, even more then when he saw the look on the man's face as his eyes wandered down and back up ever so briefly before coming over. "Well, they're a bit big on you maybe."

"Maybe, but it's fine… " Niall shrugged, wanting to attempt a smile but deciding against it right away, he probably wouldn't have gotten anything back and it wasn't funny anyways, besides, he still didn't know what to do with his clothes. "Um… where should I like… put these?"

"Right, I'll show you the extra room and you can put it there, the food's still gonna take a bit anyways." Yeah, Niall did feel bad that Liam was about to give him his own food and stuff, like things he had bought himself with his own money, he was hoping that work was paying him back for all of this, also since Niall would be staying with him, like… the younger boy was gonna ask Liam about that, but definitely not now because he was still a bit taken aback. This wasn't a usual situation after all, he'd have to wrap his head around it first. 

The room Liam had been talking about was a bit further away from the man's bedroom, it wasn't too small though but quite empty besides a bed and two other pieces of furniture. Not that Niall minded or anything, he just put the clothes onto the bed once Liam had told him it'd be fine, that he could do anything in here he wanted since he had no need for it anyways. Obviously, Niall wasn't gonna do anything besides sleeping in here and well… staying in here like a normal person would until he was gonna leave again in a week, or sooner if they caught the guy, which Niall wished they would because it wasn't nice knowing there was a crazy psycho out there who maybe or maybe not was out for his blood. Right, not a good idea to think about that now.

When they got back to the kitchen, the pizza still wasn't ready, Niall also wasn't completely sure if he was even hungry or something but he would be eating anyways since it would've been bloody rude not to, he also sat down at the table when Liam told him it was alright, watching silently while the man got two glasses out of a cupboard.

Liam was wearing normal clothes now, he had probably changed before coming to get Niall and take him home with him and it was weird watching him being just a normal guy in his kitchen after such a day. On the other hand though, it made Niall feel calmer, this was a more natural setting now, still weird and not a situation he would've ever wanted to get into, but it was the best option he had right now. 

"What do you wanna drink? Is water alright?" Since Niall had no idea if he had any other choice he just agreed, thanking the man when he put the full glass in front of him on the table before taking a seat as well, opposite of Niall, taking a sip of his own. "Do you have your phone with you? Or did you… lose it?"

"No, I… it was in my pocket the whole time, I still have it." Funnily enough, the killer hadn't ever searched Niall's pockets or anything, not that he would've found anything besides his keys, his phone and a wallet with an ID and 5 bucks, but the blonde boy still found that slightly weird. "… why?"

"Because we should exchange numbers, in case anything happens, you know, I mean… you could also just call the police, but… it'd probably be better to just call me because I'll know what's going on immediately. Remind me tomorrow, yeah?" Well, that made sense, Niall wasn't sure though of what kinda things Liam was talking about that could happen, but he'd definitely feel safer being able to call him, just in case.

"Okay, but… um… do you think it's weird that… that he didn't take my phone? Or my wallet? I still have both of them…" Actually, Niall knew he wasn't gonna get a serious answer so he watched Liam's face closely, to his disappointment barely seeing any reaction at all, the older man wasn't even really looking at him all the time, he was way too good at this.

"Maybe. I don't know what exactly happened or how, but I'm sure we're gonna find out soon, okay?" Not really okay, but Niall nodded anyways, drinking some more water to have something to do and so he wouldn't mindlessly stare at Liam, he kinda wanted to talk about what had happened, but he had no idea how or where to start so he stayed quiet, trying not to think about that he could've as well been dead right now instead of sitting here. "Niall…"

"Y-Yeah?" Hearing his name out of the man's mouth was a bit paralyzing, Niall almost choked on his water as he looked up across the table, meeting these brown eyes immediately and feeling himself blushing at an instant.

"We can talk about it if you want, you know? About anything really, doesn't have to be about today. If there's anything you wanna like… get out, you can do it, it's alright." There were a lot of things Niall could've said, he almost did too because of how soft and nice Liam's voice had turned, but then bit his tongue, eyes getting stuck on some pattern on the table.

"I… thank you, but, I… I'm fine, I think… " More than that, Niall also didn't wanna get onto Liam's nerves, he knew it was the man's job to ask him all that, but that probably didn't mean that he enjoyed doing it because he just nodded, not pushing the blonde boy any further.

"Alright. If you change your mind you can talk to me any time you want." His voice was still calm but Niall wasn't sure how much of that was real, he wasn't so sure about Liam's feelings about any of this, and sure he trusted the man but he hadn't made up his mind about anything else yet. "I'm gonna go check for the food."

Somehow Niall was very relieved when the pizza was done, it was easier to focus on just eating and not having to make conversation, he wasn't really used to being around someone for this long and talk to them. Niall lived on his own and well… there were some people he talked to at college but not that many, he also wouldn't have considered them friends or anything, not that he was a loner or purposely keeping everyone at a distance, just, he wasn't good at finding friends and the fact that he and Liam were sitting quietly the whole time while eating was maybe why.

Although, this was different, the man was 7 years older than Niall and he literally got payed to do this and besides that, he was on his phone the whole entire time too and the blonde boy didn't want to interrupt, not that he would've had anything smart to say.

When they were done, Niall went to silently help Liam wash the dishes before deciding that he should probably go to the room Liam had told him he could have, the clock on the wall told him that it wasn't too extremely late, but… what else could he have done really? He didn't want to be in the way.

"I… I think I'm gonna go to bed, if… if that's alright." Not sure really, Niall was playing with the hem of the shirt Liam had borrowed him, doing his best to not look into the man's face too much.

"Oh. Sure, whatever you want. You don't have to though, you can also watch some TV with me if you like, or if you wanna talk, you know." Well, Niall was definitely not gonna do that, but Liam's casual voice helped a little bit, even if he shook his head despite that, trying to put up a somewhat happier face. 

"No, but thank you, really… also for… for everything else, I… you saved me today and now you're doing all this and I know it's your job, just… thank you, Liam." How embarrassing could this actually get? 

"No problem, there's no need for you to thank me all the time, alright? I'm here if you need anything." When Niall kinda forced himself to look up after this, just because it'd be polite of course but also a tiny little bit because he wanted to, his heart stopped for a second as he saw the tiny smile on Liam's face, as if he had really meant it, and his cheeks filled with blood immediately. God, did this man look attractive. 

"O-Okay, um… goodnight, Liam." Almost wanting to slap himself for saying Liam's name so often, Niall decided to leave before he'd embarrass himself even further, there was no possibility that the other man hadn't noticed him behaving like a fucking fool.

"Goodnight, buddy." There, the last word, he clearly saw Niall as a child, which he almost was, but a part of Niall was still a bit annoyed by that because people always thought he was so much younger because he looked and behaved like he did. But maybe that was a good thing, if Liam saw him as a kid, maybe he didn't hate having him here so much, right? Maybe he really was being somewhat nice because he wanted to as well and cared about Niall's safety, a tiny little bit at least. 

Anyways, it'd be kinda nice if he did, because well… no one else really cared about the blonde boy. No one would've even noticed had he died today, they might have at his college, after a week or two, but not because they would've missed him, and living with that knowledge, that there was no one in this entire world that needed Niall in any way, was a bit hard to deal with somehow.

 

————

 

_The cool metal was being buried deeper into Niall's temple, his breath was going too quick and too little air would fill his lunges no matter how hard he tried to gasp for more, surely his heart was gonna stop and he was gonna fall unconscious before anything else happened. Actually, that would've been quite a relief._

_There was no sound, the man didn't talk much, but he was breathing too noisily next to Niall's ear, his hand was pressing too hard over the boy's mouth, not bothered by the wet tears hitting his skin, or the blood pumping out of Niall's forehead wound._

_He shouldn't have tried to run, should've stayed underneath the counter, but he hadn't been able to think clearly and when he had heard the screams of the two costumers, something inside him had snapped and he had just jumped up and tried to get away, being snatched within five seconds though._

_No one was gonna come to help him, Niall was certain of that, no one ever came to help him, it had always been like this, he on his own, having to to try and bail himself out of every situation, no one else there to lean or to offer help. It was always only Niall and now he was gonna die, maybe it'd be better if he did, because what was his purpose really?_

_Still, when the man's hand flinched and the gun pressed deeper into Niall's skin, the boy let out a silent whimper, his eyes getting stuck on one of the dead bodies on the floor, the red pools of blood surrounding it and his stomach turned knowing that in less than a second, he was gonna be lying down there as well…_

 

Niall awoke with a gasp, his cheeks felt wet as he sat up immediately, panic filling him as his breathing got harder instantly, he felt as if though he was gonna suffocate any second. There was barely any light now and it took him a few seconds to calm himself enough to remember where he was, to move his arm to flick on the light on the bedside table. It had been a dream, just a dream.

But then again… it had also been real.

Sitting in Liam's guest room bed now, Niall just blankly stared at the opposite wall while tears were spilling over and rolling down his face, dropping onto the blanket that his fingers were clenched tightly around. He had almost died, he had been so close, the man had almost shot him, on such a normal day, just randomly, Niall had almost died.

The boy had been confronted with death before, way too many times, never with his own though, he was always being careful, always took the long, safe way around, yet still it had happened and it didn't help with his usual anxiety and feelings of uncertainty. Didn't help that sometimes he would still check under his bed despite the fact that he was an 18 year old college student.

It's just… it still felt so real, when Niall closed his eyes, he could still hear and smell and _feel_ how it had been like, the only reason he had even been able to fall asleep before had been because he had heard the TV through the wall, only slightly though, but it had helped to know someone else was in the other room. Now though, it was dead quiet.

There was no way Niall was gonna go back to sleep, it took him what seemed like ages to move out of bed, trying to suppress his sobs but not bothering to wipe his tears as he shuffled to the door slowly, forcing himself to put a hand on the door handle. He got this, this apartment was safe, Liam would come in case he screamed and protect him, he'd be just fine.

Still, it didn't help too much, Niall felt his body shaking and more tears spilling over as he slid into the empty, dark hallway, hand sliding across the wall until he found the light switcher, a small breath of relief escaping him as it worked even if there was no reason that it wouldn't have.

Of course he considered waking up Liam, but Niall was too shy to do so, even if he so badly just wanted to talk to the man, for real now, just sob and cry and be calmed down and most of all, not be left alone to deal with it. But he couldn't do that, he needed to do this by himself, no matter how many haunting nightmares he had and how fast his heart was bumping as he slowly walked over to the bathroom, how terribly he flinched every time there was a sound from outside. 

Splashing ice cold water into his face didn't really help, Niall refused to look into the mirror and check his face, he didn't want to see it, somehow scared that he might see something else than his usual reflection.

Somehow he was even scared to turn around, or look on the floor, just in case he'd see a dead body there, or a killer standing right there behind him, soundlessly coming closer, his breath was gonna hit the back of Niall's neck any second and then-

"Niall? Are you okay?" Immediately, Niall spun around, his heart beating fifty times faster as he heard the much unexpected voice, eyes wide and breath going quick as he stared at the doorframe, more tears spilling over that he didn't manage to hold back. 

It was just Liam of course, in training shorts now and a black shirt, his hair was product free and slightly messed up from sleep, his expression immediately softening as their eyes met and he moved closer as Niall almost choked on his words, desperately trying to dry his cheeks now. "I-I… I-I'm f-fine… "

"Hey, it's okay, yeah? You're safe here, I promise, come on, what happened, huh? You can tell me, it's alright, I wanna help you." That was one thing Liam was really good at, at calming Niall down and talking to him in the softest voice, almost making him believe that he could have protected the boy from any evil in this world. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I-I…" Taking another very shaky breath, Niall felt both humiliated but at the same time relieved, he just wanted to tell Liam, wanted to cry on his shoulder and be comforted, just this once. "Y-Yeah… "

"Alright, do you wanna tell me about it? Or do you wanna sit down somewhere? I can get you something to drink." There was a smile on his lips now that Niall could barely see through his teary eyes, he was just shaking his head for whatever reason, grasping onto the sink behind him and just staring at the older man, not really knowing what to do or say, his throat was so tight that he didn't even know whether he'd be able to bring out one single world.

Maybe it was because he was so terrified, shivering and still crying and not able to think clearly, or maybe because Liam looked so huggable and he had held Niall before as well, fact was that the boy wasn't really considering any consequences as he simply launched himself forward at the man, definitely against his usual behavior, wrapping both his arms tightly around his middle and simply continuing to sob into his neck, not able to calm himself down. He was a fucking wreck at this point, not even sure what was coming out of his mouth anymore as he just blurted out with all of it. "I-I'm s-sorry, I-I… I-I w-was d-dreaming a-and…. i-it w-was s-so r-real a-and… I-I t-thought h-he w-was g-gonna… k-kill m-me, I-I… t-there w-was s-so m-much b-blood a-and t-they w-were d-dead, I-I…"

"Hey, hey, shhh, it's alright, Niall, it was just a nightmare, okay? I know you were scared and I know it's hard to move on but I promise you that you're safe, I'm here and I'm gonna make sure nothing happens to you, alright? It's gonna be okay, if there's one thing I know then it's that. We're gonna find the guy and he won't ever touch you again, I promise." The thing was, Liam hugged back just as tightly, his chin tugged over Niall's head because of the height difference, just letting the boy wet his clothes once more with tears, slightly rocking them from side to side as if this was happening all the time. "Shsh, it's okay, you're safe, I never break my promises, it's all gonna be just fine, I'm here."

Strangely enough, the man's words and soft voice did help, even if Niall was quite certain he couldn't even know half of the things he was promising, he let himself believe that it was true, let himself be rocked and hugged, feeling safe for now in Liam's strong arms, feeling his body heat through two layers of clothes, not willing to let go already though. He needed this, he had forgotten how nice it felt to be held and feel being taken care of and protected, someone there who he could tell what he felt and what had happened, someone who was willing to listen, even if it was just for his job, he was here and he was real and trying his very hardest.

They stayed like this for quite a while, Niall tried to get his tears to stop and force his body to stop from shaking like a leaf, still clinging to Liam for his dear life but getting the tightest and best hug back he could have ever imagined. Maybe Liam's second job was a professional cuddler or something, he surely would have had all the qualifications for that.

"Thank y-you…I'm s-sorry for c-crying…" Was all that was left on Niall's mind once the tears had somewhat stopped, he wasn't sure whether Liam was even able to hear him as he mumbled against the man's neck, more than glad that they were still hugging, it was like Liam was somehow holding him together, keeping him from falling apart.

"You don't have to apologize for that, trust me, Niall, your reaction is perfectly fine and I really wish this wouldn't have happened to you but you're gonna be fine. I know it's scary and that it leaves you feeling really anxious and terrified of it happening again, but it won't, okay? I've been involved with a lot of cases similar to this and it takes a while but then it gets better, and you got therapy too, that's gonna help a lot, okay? I promise, give it some time and you're gonna be fine, I know what I'm talking about, trust me." This helped a lot, mostly because Liam's voice sounded soft yet still firm, as if he really meant all of this, as if he was convinced by what he was saying and Niall relaxed a tiny bit, allowing Liam to attempt and pull away slowly. "Okay? You wanna go sit down? I'll bring you back to your room, I won't leave just yet, promise."

"Okay…" Niall was terrified of being left alone to sleep again but he was too shy to say so, he carefully let his arms around Liam's middle sink, not looking up into the man's face but rather trying to dry his own instead, a few goosebumps rising on his bare arms as Liam rubbed his slightly rough hands over them a few times before going to get him some tissues. "Thank you… "

"You're welcome." Waiting for Niall to dry his eyes and blow his nose, Liam's arm somehow found its way around the blonde boy's shoulders afterwards as he pulled him to the door softly, turning the lights off behind them as he walked them down to the room Niall was staying in, comfortably squeezing the younger boy, helping him to not lose his mind just yet. "Come on, get back into bed, I'm gonna wait until you've fallen back asleep if you want me to. And if you wake up again later then just call me and I'll come over."

Wow, he was so nice that it hurt, Niall was done analyzing whether Liam was just doing his job or not, he jus nodded, thanking the man quietly as he crawled back into bed, even forgetting to be embarrassed about it. What did it matter now, it was in the middle of the night and he had just acted like a hysterical child and clung to a police officer who he only knew for a few hours and yet he was in his apartment and said man was sitting on the edge of the bed, kind worriedly looking down at him once Niall had pulled the blanket up, exhausted yet still terrified. He didn't wanna be left alone, not even if it would only be once he had slept in but he could hardly ask Liam to stay with him, that'd probably go a bit too far. 

"You okay?" Niall's cheeks still felt hot as he stared up at Liam, nodding a bit, feeling slightly dumb yet more than relieved to have the man sitting on the mattress, not looking like he was gonna break his promise and just leave, the lights on the bedside table still turned on as well. God, Niall really did behave like a fucking baby. "Alright, good. How's your head, does it hurt? We should probably change the bandaids tomorrow, I can help you with that if you want, I took some from the station before in case you need any."

"Oh… thank you, I… I think I'm alright though, it hurt a bit in the shower because of the water, but… I'm okay now." The fact that Liam had gotten bandaids for him forced Niall to look down once again, twisting the blanket in his fingers without even noticing, well aware of the man's stare on his face. Was it dumb he still kinda felt like crying a little bit? "Um… how late is it?"

"Like 2 am or so." Awesome, now Niall was keeping Liam from sleeping, maybe had even woken him up or something, surely, he wasn't leaving any good impressions or was sticking to his plan on not getting onto his nerves.

"I'm sorry, if… if I woke you and am keeping you from going to sleep now, I… it's fine if you… if you wanna sleep, I understand, I-"

"Niall. Do you really want me to leave now?" That had Niall shutting his mouth in half a second, face blushing brightly again as he heard something like a soft laugh, sending a few goose bumps down his arms. Again. "Thought so. You didn't wake me up, I haven't even gone to bed yet but I heard you in the bathroom so I thought I'd see if everything's alright. So no worries, I'm not losing any sleep because of you, but maybe you should try to get some more rest, you can need it and I'm gonna wait here, no worries, you're safe." 

"Yeah… yeah, okay… " Biting his tongue before he would've thanked Liam yet again, Niall tried to get more comfortable, a little relieved that the older man had still been awake and maybe wouldn't hate him forever now, but he probably would, secretly, and Niall would have perfectly understood that. 

For a moment or two they stay silent, Niall had to admit trying to sleep with Liam's steady breathing would've been a lot easier if he hadn't still felt the man's stare on his face even with closed eyes, but he only ever got about two minutes of trying before Liam shifted a bit and the blonde boy could feel himself starting panic about being left alone when he heard the man clearing his throat quietly, his voice soft as he spoke, whispered almost. "There's something I… I've been meaning to ask you actually, it's fine if you don't wanna tell me though, this isn't like… anything I have to know, so you don't have to answer."

Immediately, Niall's heart sped up uncomfortably as he blinked his eyes open again to look at Liam for a bit, he still seemed to be slightly worried, his face soft, especially when his hair was like that and it somehow gave Niall enough courage to ask. "Okay… w-what is it?"

"Well… you probably know that we have access to a lot of information and after I came to talk to you my boss kinda told me some things and it… well, it got me slightly worried." This wasn't going into a very desirable direction, Niall looked away again, he was half lying on his side because that's how he slept better, looking over at the wall now instead as Liam continued, carefully and slowly, not because he was nervous or didn't know what to say but because it seemed like he was trying not to startle Niall or something. "You know he said that… that you didn't have anyone to call or to stay with and I know because that's what you told me as well, just… he mentioned your parents too."

Then Liam stopped and Niall somehow wasn't as surprised as expected, he took a slow, quiet breath, hoping his throat wasn't gonna get too tight because this wasn't something he got asked very frequently, actually… he wasn't really sure if he had ever really told anyone. But now he kinda felt like Liam deserved to know and besides, it wasn't like he couldn't just look it up, he was a cop and the fact that Niall was here at his apartment right now was probably saying enough already. "They… they died when I was 8, so it's been a while, I… I was there. I was in the same car and… I got lucky and they didn't. I was conscious for a while and I screamed for them to wake up but they didn't, they were killed at an instant, there was a lot of blood and… I had to go to therapy for really long, so… it's not anything new. I've been living with my grandma from there on, I had no other relatives, but she was very sick the past three years and she… she passed away recently, so… yeah. I decided to go to uni here, I just… wanted a new start kind of, I guess, I don't know…"

The silence following after that was slightly depressing really, Niall was surprised with himself, that he had just brought this all out without crying like a fucking idiot. Then again though, his parents had died more than 10 years ago and his grandma hadn't been a very big surprise either, living with her had kinda been like being on his own for the past few years. Well, and now he was for real. "I… I'm really sorry about that, Niall, I truly am, I shouldn't have asked, it's none of my business and I'm sorry."

"'s fine… I've never really told anyone, I… well I don't really have any friends or… you know, suppose you figured that out already…" It was embarrassing yeah, Niall hadn't always been like this though, he had only become this introverted and careful after his parents' death, when he had gone to another city to live with his grandma and the kids at school had started to tease him. Now the teasing had turned into almost complete ignorance at college and Niall wasn't so sure if he really wanted to deepen this topic right now, even if maybe he was being rude, but that was still better than pitying himself and yet again breaking out into tears. Surely, Liam had only asked because he found Niall weird. "I… I think I'm gonna try and sleep now…"

"Yeah… yeah, alright, sure, sorry for keeping you awake, I… I'm gonna wait until you're asleep and I'll wake you tomorrow, okay? Sleep tight, Niall." There was a change in Liam's voice ever since Niall had told him, but he was too shy to look up into the man's face so he just tried to get as comfortable as possible, cuddling into the pillow and the blanket, hoping to fall asleep soon now even if that meant he'd be left alone again, he just wanted to forget, about to today, about anything really.

"Goodnight, Liam… "


	3. Chapter 3

To say Liam felt bad was an understatement. 

It took him ages to finally fall asleep after maybe having stayed a bit too long on the edge of Niall's bed, even if he had known the boy must've fallen asleep because his whole body seemed to relax. Something he apparently couldn't manage to do while being awake, not even with Liam sitting there and waiting for him to drift off.

Yeah, maybe he shouldn't have done that, Liam had tried to keep this on a professional basis and he was gonna continue like this, but he hadn't managed to prevent these few slips. It was just hard, to know that the boy had to go through this all alone, now that he had told Liam about his parents and the fact that he had no one else. Something the man should have also not asked because it was none of his business, just… it was hard not to care about Niall, he seemed to be way too young for any of this, for being alone so much. 

But Liam would have to ignore that, he couldn't let the boy get too attached to him, this was only for a little while and by now he was praying they'd find this guy soon so he wouldn't ever have anything to do with this case again or have to worry. He really did want Niall to be alright, just, he also knew that taking him home hadn't been a very good idea judging from other perspectives. The boy deserved someone to be there for him, but Liam was pretty sure he was not the perfect option for this, he just needed to make sure they caught this guy so Niall would be safe and could go home again.

Liam's plans on how to handle this sounded pretty good in his head, but when he went to wake the boy the next morning, feeling more than just tired due to lack of sleep, he wasn't so sure anymore about how to pull this off without being too nice and caring. Because he did wanna be somehow, it just came natural, but he couldn't allow himself to, it wouldn't have been right and it wouldn't have helped anyone in the end. 

"Niall, time to wake up, buddy." He was still asleep with the bedside table light on, just in the same position as Liam had left him in last night, with a really bad feeling in his tummy. Really, waking the boy when he had finally found rest was the last thing he wanted to do, especially because he looked so small like this and helpless, but it wasn't something Liam could let himself think about now, they'd have to leave in about half an hour. "Hey, Niall… we gotta leave soon, okay? Are you waking up?"

"Hmmm… " The boy turned a bit, making a very unpleasant sound and Liam sat back on the edge of the bed like last night, forcing himself to not touch the boy any further other than putting a hand on his should to shake him gently, not sure how else to get him to wake up. "I… "

"You what? Are you alright?" Niall didn't seem to even be aware of Liam being there, he was obviously still half asleep and the older man was pretty sure he would've never behaved like this otherwise, he was way too shy to, it didn't take a genius to see how many times he was blushing and looking down.

"I'm tired…" The boy whined into the pillow, causing Liam to feel a tug to his heart, Niall would probably have slept in again the second he didn't talk anymore, so despite the fact that he wanted to let him have his well needed rest, Liam softly shook his shoulder once more, closely watching Niall's sleepy face.

"I know and I'm sorry, but we gotta be ready in about 30 minutes, alright?" This time, there was some more moving before the boy's blue eyes cracked open a little, Liam attempted a smile, letting his hand slip now, feeling slightly bad as the boy flinched as soon as he saw Liam. "Sorry, I didn't wanna scare you, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I… sorry, I was… I was still half asleep I wasn't thinking, I… I'm gonna go get ready." There was the usual flush again, turning his whole face pink and Liam would have laughed had he not constantly felt so much pity for the boy. 

"Hey, no worries, I know and it's fine, yeah? No need to hurry, we got enough time, tell me if you need anything, I'll wait in the living room." Feeling another rush of worries for the boy as he almost fell onto the floor in an attempt to get out of bed quickly, Liam stood up slowly to give him some privacy, even if it was kinda hard to leave him by himself because it always seemed like he was gonna get hurt or something.

Still, of course Liam wouldn't stay in the room while Niall changed, he was just hoping the boy would be fine on his own for a little bit because despite the fact that he was trying not to be too protective or whatever, it was still hard not to feel this way nevertheless. Shit, Liam shouldn't have gotten into this situation, his boss shouldn't have picked him for this job, maybe he had the qualifications but he always had the problem of getting too emotionally involved and this time, he really couldn't.

Since Liam was ready to go, he basically just sat on his living room couch, checking his phone again to make sure he really did have all the times down his boss had sent before and that he knew when to be where. So Niall had therapy now and then Liam was gonna drive him to college before starting to work himself, even if this kinda was his job too but it didn't feel very much like it anymore. It felt more like taking care of a much younger friend that he didn't know too well yet, which was a very dangerous thing to think about because he shouldn't have minded so little that he had an 18 year old boy living with him for the next few days.

Niall really did seem to hurry up because he only needed about ten minutes or something, Liam looked up from his phone as he heard the light footsteps, just like last night getting his eyes stuck a bit on the way the blonde boy looked in one of his old shirts. It definitely was way too big, but it was the best option right now, Liam would've smiled a little bit over how Niall almost got lost in the shirt, but then he looked up into his pale face and saw the dark rings underneath his eyes, quickly changing his mind. "Um… you said to remind you to, you know… so that we can exchange numbers."

"True, you're right, come here, I'll tell you mine and you just send me a text message, alright?" Good thing Niall had remembered that, he was twisting his phone in his hands now, nodding as he came over to the couch, keeping his head down as he sat with some distance to Liam. "Ready?"

"Um…w-wait…. okay." His hand was shaking a bit, Liam saw it very clearly as he watched the boy typing while telling him his number, rather slowly, and then a second time because he saw that Niall had trouble typing it in fast enough. He was so nervous in Liam's presence yet he also didn't seem to want to be alone and clearly that combination didn't work very well for the poor boy. "Okay, I… I sent you a text message."

"Thank you. Alright, I got it." Quickly saving the boy's number, Liam tried his very hardest to somehow keep the whole situation casual, not too familiar and at the same time still be nice so Niall wouldn't start to feel even worse. Clearly, that was a lot harder than thought. "So, you still alright with going to therapy? You know no one can force you to go."

"Um, yeah, I…I think I'll go." He shrugged a little bit after having put his phone away, his eyes focused on his lap now while playing with his fingers, a habit that Liam had noticed already, it wasn't hard to oversee, especially not when he was used to watching people's reactions this closely.

"Okay, then I'll drive you there and I'm gonna wait until you're finished, yeah? And then we can go to your place and get your stuff and I'll bring you to college afterwards. When are your classes gonna be over?" Right, Liam had forgotten to ask that, he tried not to look at Niall too often because it obviously put more pressure on he boy, but it was hard too because… where else would he look when he was constantly worried about him?

"Um, I… my last class ends at 4 pm." Good, that'd mean Liam would still have to work after that, which was fine, he was just slightly worried about if Niall would survive being on his own for that long. And not physically survive it, but more mentally.

"Okay, I'll pick you up after that and bring you back here, yeah? I still have to work then, but you can do whatever you want in here, watch TV, make yourself something to eat, no need to be shy." Because he always was and this time Liam used an actual smile as Niall looked up for a brief second, rubbing at his eye slowly while nodding a bit, he seemed both sleepy as hell but also very careful and insecure.

"Okay… thank you." And that needed to stop as well, all the thank you's were gonna kill Liam, this was literally his job, the fact that Niall seemed to think this was necessary made everything even worse, he was probably thinking Liam hated doing this when in fact he really did care. More than he should have.

"You're welcome, like always. Are you ready to go?" Well, maybe that question was slightly unnecessary, he didn't exactly have a lot of stuff to take with him after all and Liam felt so bad for him sometimes that it hurt. Right, don't get too involved.

"Yeah…" He was nervous, maybe even more now than before as soon as Liam led them out of his apartment, the closed door and all had probably given Niall some reassurance that he clearly lost once they left the building. The blonde boy kept so close to Liam in the garage that he almost bumped into him once, apologizing very quickly, with a slightly shaky voice. 

Liam knew where to take Niall because they always sent people to the same therapists, it wasn't too far away from the police station either but he would just wait in front of the door, just in case, his boss had ordered him to do it and it did seem a lot saver to be honest. Maybe it'd also make Niall feel better as well.

Usually Liam would already have to be at work, actually in the car with Harry because they were partners, but since he was basically working 24/7 now with having to take care of Niall, it'd be alright if he only came later. All he had to do was put the the blonde boy's safety over everything else, that's what his boss had ordered him to do, so Liam was gonna do it, no questions asked.

The car ride was rather quiet, the older man didn't really wanna force Niall to talk and besides that, the boy seemed to be lost in thoughts staring out the window so he let him be, only speaking up again once they were there and he had found a parking spot, choosing his words carefully so he wouldn't startle Niall. "Okay, that's it. I can bring you in if you want? I'll wait outside of course, until you're done."

"O-Okay… thank you…" Again, he was thanking him, Liam would've smiled had the boy looked at him just once, but he refused, keeping his head down while grabbing for the door handle with a shaky hand, only causing the man to let out a quiet sigh instead of anything else. Hopefully therapy was gonna help this kid.

Another thing that Liam noticed was that Niall got anxious in elevators, especially now because they had to go up a few floors, he kept fiddling with his fingers, not really giving any answers to whatever Liam said other than yes or no or sometimes just a shrug. Now, Liam had no idea whether Niall always behaved like this or whether this behavior had been triggered by his current situation, fact was that the blonde boy was terrified to death and there was literally nothing Liam could have done to help him. Not exactly a nice feeling.

Once they came to the reception desk, Niall had let himself fall behind slightly, not to bring more distance between him and Liam, but obviously only to be able to half hide his body behind the older man's, very obviously not willing to speak up so Liam didn't hesitate to talk for him. "Good morning, I'm bringing Niall Horan, believe he has a session now."

"Ah, good morning, officer Payne. Let me just check really quickly…" Liam's uniform didn't exactly make a secret about why he was here, neither did Niall's shy behavior, still unwilling to fully stand next to Liam while the woman typed into her computer before smiling at Liam once more. "Right, I have him here. Just maybe take a seat for a few minutes, he's gonna be called in as soon as possible."

"Alright, thanks." Returning the smile half heartedly, Liam looked down at Niall's face, their eyes meeting for a second, which of course caused the younger one's cheeks to turn bright red, but he did follow Liam to the chairs, even if he was half stumbling over his feet five times. How did this boy survive by himself since years? "Are you okay, Niall? You know there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"I know, I just… been a while since I've been to therapy… " Right, Liam had no idea what that was like but he still nodded understandingly once they had taken a seat next to the door, keeping his eyes on the younger boy even if he refused to draw his own away from his lap.

"It's gonna be fine, I promise. You know if… " Maybe a joke wasn't appropriate right now but Liam had a hard time biting his tongue around this boy, this wasn't like usual cases where he could force himself to keep emotional distance if necessary, it was different when he knew someone's whole life story and they were sitting in front of him in one of his own shirts that were way too big, shaking slightly and looking close to tears every few seconds. "If they're doing an awful job then you just tell me and we'll find you someone else, yeah? But don't worry, I heard she's good."

"Yeah, okay… 'm sure it'll be fine… " Obviously, that was either a lie or Niall was just trying to reassure himself, either way Liam nodded encouragingly once the boy looked up briefly, his face still pale, the band aid on his forehead looking way too big. They still had to change it later, but that could wait, it'd probably hurt and Liam was quite sure he was gonna end up being the one who did it while Niall just sat there shivering and hopefully not crying. 

Before Liam could respond, the door opened and a woman stood in the frame, greeting Liam with a simple head nod that he returned. Had he decided to not work as police officer anymore he would've probably been working here as well right now. "Hey, Niall. Are you ready to come in?"

"Um… y-yeah… sure…" The boy stood up rather clumsily, Liam made sure not to look at him because he knew it'd just get Niall even more nervous to be watched and in all honesty, he was nervous enough for ten people at once. "Uh… see you later, Liam… "

"See you later, buddy, I'll be waiting here." It was only for an hour so he'd be fine, but it kinda made him smile that Niall had said goodbye to him, even if he quickly suppressed that emotion again so no one would see, watching as Niall walked into the room and the woman pulled the door closed behind them, leaving Liam and the receptionist alone in the waiting room.

Having time to think wasn't that good of an idea right now, but there was nothing Liam could have done to prevent his mind from wandering off while he was waiting, which was still better than worrying too much about Niall because that was definitely not gonna help either of them.

The case itself had been an additional reason for Liam to not really being able to fall asleep last night, he knew that there was no use in overanalyzing it since he hadn't been put on the case, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried. None of it fit together, the guy wouldn't have killed two people out of nowhere if he had just wanted the money, he wouldn't have let Niall or Liam and Harry live either if he had been out for the kill, plus the blonde boy still had all his belongings, he had been caught while running away but instead of shooting him, the man had made sure to hold the gun to his head for Liam and Harry to see. Why would he do that?

Something was up, Liam knew it but there was nothing he could do, he couldn't investigate this or he was gonna get himself fired maybe, he needed to do his job which was sitting here and waiting for Niall, nothing else, he had to believe that they were gonna catch the guy, for whatever reason, he just needed to stop being a danger out there. 

Another thing that Liam should have definitely not been doing was answering a phone call from Harry, he just sighed quietly to himself as he felt his phone vibrating after a few minutes of waiting and worrying, staring down at his display before deciding that he could as well go for it. Yeah, he was technically at work, but… so was Harry, maybe it was an emergency.

"Hey, Li, what's up?" Or maybe not.

"Nothing, I… I believe you shouldn't be calling me when you're on duty." Liam half joked, but he was being a little bit serious as well, not that there was anyone who could have caught him, but he wasn't one to go against the rules.

"But it's important, remember when we talked about getting donuts at some point and act like some cops in a movie?" Oh no.

"Don't tell me you're about to buy donuts, Harry. Who even let you get into a car when your foot has been shot?" Eyeing the receptionist, Liam was relieved to see that she was typing on her computer again, looking very focused as well and not at all as if she was even taking notice of Liam's presence. Good. 

"I already bought them, and actually, I was just calling to ask which one I should save for you? The chocolate one?" Had he taken drugs or something?! Sometimes Liam really questioned his friend's behavior.

"I… you don't have to save anything for me. Are you driving by yourself?" Liam was definitely not gonna eat donuts with Harry once he got to work, this was just ridiculous, but he couldn't even be mad because having a partner and best friend like Harry who wasn't always as serious as himself somehow kept him sane.

"Nope. You know the new guy we have? The 21 year old that looks like he can't even lift a chair? Well, the chief said I should work with him until you come, so now he's driving and I'm telling him what to do and I made him go in and buy donuts for me, it's supposed to be a learning lesson, but I think he learned enough already when I told him he couldn't stop anywhere to pee for a good hour and he almost pissed himself, you should've seen his face." Liam rolled his eyes at this, this was just typically Harry, he wasn't an asshole or anything, but he liked to have a joke with the new ones, especially when no one was there to watch him. 

"Haz, can you please let him stop somewhere and use a toilet?" Although it was true, sometimes you just had to hold it in, but obviously not when they were uselessly driving around and Harry was just having a laugh.

"Don't worry, Li, we're at a gas station right now and I'm waiting in the car for him to come back, he even called me sir when I told him he could go now, thanked me like ten times. That boy is so confused." Chuckling, Harry was obviously chewing on his donut now and Liam felt slightly helpless, he could just hope that the new guy wouldn't talk. Then again though, he probably wouldn't dare to, because who would believe him anyways? "Speaking of boy, how's the kid doing, what's his name… Neil?"

"Niall. And he's not doing so well I suppose, I'm waiting for him to be done with therapy right now, but he was really scared last night and also this morning. He had nightmares too, I… I'm not exactly sure how to handle this, I can't even imagine what's gonna happen if he's not with me anymore, like… it seems impossible that he won't be scared out of his mind." Not something that should've been from Liam's concern but it kinda was and there wasn't really anyone he could admit this to other than Harry or Louis and Zayn. 

"I'm sure he's gonna be fine, Li. He's not the first one to go through this." True, but usually it also weren't people who were both shy and scared like this _and_ had not a single person to stay with, which didn't seem to be any of Harry's concern though because he let out a short laugh, obviously not knowing how much this really got to Liam. Maybe it was better this way. "You could just keep him with you if everything else fails."

"Yeah… maybe that's not such a good idea." He couldn't let Niall move in, that'd really go a bit too far maybe, besides, it probably was not what the blonde boy wanted and Liam also wasn't very sure if he'd be able to deal with that. After this was done, he'd just have to let it go, like always. "Have you heard anything new about the guy?"

"Nope, not a thing. I talked to the chief today and he said they are still looking into it but there are no suspects whatsoever. But don't worry, the boy is gonna get over it, Liam, I know you think there's more to this case and I agree that it was weird but I'm sure he won't try and kill Neil… or Niall, whatever, it'll be fine, they will catch him and figure this out. Hey, I think the new guy is coming back, I'll see you later, yeah? Take care." And then he just hung up, not too unexpectedly but it still caused Liam to sigh slightly as he pocketed his phone again, wishing that he could've taken things as easily as Harry. Or as Louis because he was just the same, maybe Zayn would've understood but Liam had no nerves talking about this to anybody really, it's not like they could've helped him really.

Trying not to think about anything related to this case or Niall anymore, Liam started counting the tiles on the floor, it worked for a while but not very long, today time seemed to be passing by even more slowly. He wasn't really used to sitting around and not doing anything on a normal work day, especially not at this kinda hour, he should've enjoyed this but it was hard to do so when he was constantly worried about the blonde boy behind the wall next to him.

Hopefully it'd go alright, if he came out even more scared than before then Liam was definitely gonna have to do something so he was praying he wouldn't have to, just sitting there staring and purposely thinking about the most ridiculous stuff ever just to keep his brain busy somehow.

When the door opened again though, Liam felt like ages had passed, in fact, he almost let out a sigh of relief when he could finally stand up again, eyes immediately going to search for Niall's face, somehow automatically, not quite sure what to think about nothing really having changed about his expression. "… don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Or talk to someone, okay? And don't forget what I told you, I'll see you soon, Niall, have a good day."

"U-Um… you too." Well, that certainly hadn't sounded very motivated, Liam wished he could've seen the boy smile for real but Niall didn't return his therapists smile in any way before walking over to Liam as if nothing had changed in the past hour. Maybe it hadn't.

"Ready to go?" Liam tried not to sound too enthusiastic, but he had no idea how to get Niall to feel more comfortable so this was his only option, plus he was ready to go after having sat there for forever.

"Sure… thank you for waiting… " His voice was quiet, maybe even more than before, but he did look at the older man for a bit and Liam tried not to smile like an idiot, he wanted to be nice, but not _that_ nice. It was complicated. 

"No problem, Niall. So how'd it go? Do you still wanna come here or not?" It'd be very advising, especially for someone like him, but Liam was making sure the blonde boy knew his options, that this wasn't being forced upon him in case it'd make him feel worse instead of better.

"It was okay, I… I think I'll go again, uh… " Then he took a breath, as if he couldn't talk so much in one go, waiting for Liam to push the button in the elevator once they had entered, his body noticeably tensing up as soon as the doors were closed. "It always takes some time before… before it helps, right?"

"Yeah, I think so. If you feel super uncomfortable though then you shouldn't force yourself or anything." It was hard to find out what was going on in this boy's head, which was something Liam didn't experience very often, like, some things about him were so clear to see like an open book, but then others… 

"No, I… it wasn't bad or so… " Then he shrugged and the older man decided to let it be, watching Niall for a bit as he bit around on his bottom lip, then letting go of of his borrowed shirt that he had been twisting in his hands to chew on his thumbnail instead like he always seemed to do. "Uh, Liam… ?"

"Yeah?" Slightly surprised, Liam tried not to act like it as he prayed for the elevator to hurry up, he didn't like being in here when he knew it made Niall nervous.

"I… I gotta… call my boss and… and tell him that I, you know… " Oh. Right. Well, his boss knew about the incident already, but Niall would most likely still have to speak with him so the older man just nodded, slightly worried about that phone call though.

"Okay. Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit and wait in the car so you can-"

"No." It had came out way too fast, interrupting Liam mid sentence, who raised his eyebrows a bit as he looked over, almost being able to watch Niall's face heating up, blood streaming into his cheeks as he dead on stared at his feet, clearly embarrassed for having blurted out with it like that. At least now Liam knew that his presence wasn't unwelcome. "I… sorry, for…interrupting y-you, just… I'm g-gonna… call him in the car, uh… you can h-hear it, I don't m-mind… "

"Alright, just tell me where you live first so I can drive there meanwhile, is that okay?" Deciding that there was no reason to dwell on this, especially since Niall had turned into a tomato and Liam almost had to bite back a smile now would he have not felt so bad for the poor boy, he acted as casual as possible, keeping his voice calm, not looking over anymore to make it easier for Niall to answer.

"Yeah… yeah that's o-okay… " Didn't really seem like it but it was good enough for Liam, he just nodded, fumbling with his car keys as soon as they had gotten out of the elevator and then the building a few seconds later, pretending not to notice how Niall was almost glued to his side whenever they were out in the open. Obviously, this was gonna take quite a few therapy sessions. 

Once they had gotten into the car, Liam again asked for Niall's address, not having to look it up or ask for directions because he knew that area very well anyways, so instead he just started the car, not saying anything anymore because the blonde boy had already gotten his phone out, taking kinda long though to finally hold it to his ear. Liam wasn't very sure if he should have been sitting here listening to the whole thing, but if that's what Niall wanted.

The boy's breathing was going a bit too hard while he waited for someone to pick up, his leg nervously going up and down while Liam drove, not surprised at how quiet and shaky Niall's voice was as he spoke. "Hi, sir, it's- yeah… yeah, I'm fine, I was just calling to-… oh… "

It didn't sound like a very good conversation, Liam could hear the other voice through the phone, Niall's face had gotten even whiter if that was any possible when he threw a look over as he stopped at a red light, almost about to offer that he could speak to the boy's boss instead.

"No, I-I… it w-wasn't my fault, I was-…" Oh. He was accusing Niall now?! What the hell, Liam couldn't help but getting slightly mad, that boy had been through enough, he didn't need to listen to this now, not when he knew for a fact that one of his colleagues had talked to the owner of the coffee shop and explained the whole thing and the further steps. "But I couldn't-…. no! No, I wasn't-…"

"Niall, don't let him talk to you like this, tell him you quit and hang up." Seriously, Liam would drive to see this guy and yell at him or something, with Harry, that'd surely make him shut up. "If he's making false accusations I can charge him for that, don't worry, you have every right to quit, no matter what's in your contract."

Niall didn't really react to what Liam was saying, maybe the older man was taking it too far, but when the blonde boy was finally allowed to talk to his boss again, his voice maybe sounded that tiny bit firmer. "No, I… I quit…. yeah…I sure can, I-… no, I'm not-… I'm not coming back… yeah… no, I-"

And then the guy obviously hung up on Niall because the boy sighed, taking his phone away from his ear and staring at the display for a bit before clearing his throat slightly, obviously embarrassed by the silence now. Liam was about to save him, glad that they were almost there, but Niall was faster anyways, twisting his phone in his hands now.

"Um… he threw me out, I guess, I didn't really catch the last part, but… I'm not going back there, I… I can't." Which was understandable, he also wouldn't have to, Liam was gonna make sure of that and if it was the only thing he could really help Niall with, it was at least something. 

"You don't have to, it's alright, Niall, don't worry. And don't pick up anymore if he keeps calling you, you don't have to listen to this, you're gonna find something else for sure." He went to college after all, Liam wasn't sure if the boy desperately needed the money or so, and he knew he shouldn't even think about any of this because it was none of his business but he couldn't help being willing to help the boy out if necessary. Like… sure, he shouldn't be too nice, but he also couldn't be a fucking asshole.

"Yeah, I… thank you, I think I… I'm gonna look for something new, it's… it's not so urgent… my grandma left me everything and…my parents did too of course, I've been saving for a long time… I'll be fine for now…" Hopefully that was true, Liam felt a bit sick to his stomach thinking about that once Niall went back to living on his own again that he'd be out of reach and that the older man would never find out if he had any trouble, but he couldn't keep checking on him, Niall had is own life, Liam couldn't intervene or have the boy getting attached.

"Okay. I'm sure you'll be fine, Niall, don't worry, it's gonna be alright." The usual words, Liam didn't have much else to say and the blonde boy made a sound of agreement, not really saying anything anymore when Liam pulled into his street, instead looking out of the window. "Is that it?"

"Yeah… it's the next building, the big one." They were in one of the cheaper areas now, obviously, Niall went to college after all, and his flat seemed to be pretty close to that so it made even more sense. "I can… I can go in alone or so… "

"Actually, I'd prefer if I could come with you, unless you really don't want me to, but it seems safer." Not that Liam expected the guy to be waiting in Niall's flat or something, but you never know, plus the blonde boy seemed very relieved at that offer because he nodded immediately, waiting for Liam to find a parking spot before his hand found the door handle. "If you want to, I can keep your stuff in my car so you won't have to take it to college."

"No, it's okay… thank you." Maybe he didn't have too much stuff anyways, Liam decided not to say anything anymore as he locked the car before following Niall to the main entrance of the building, pretending not so see that he almost dropped the keys three times, his face bright red once he finally manage to get it into the lock. "It's, uh… the second floor." 

"Okay, let's go then." Smiling a bit at him to cheer up the mood slightly, Liam gave up when he got nothing back, it seemed like Niall was better at this than him, to be fair though, by now he was getting slightly desperate to make the boy feel better around him, or in general actually. Didn't seem to quite work out.

There was no elevator so they took the stairs of course, Niall seemed once again slightly embarrassed about it and Liam wished he would've been able to think of something to say in order to calm him. But it was hard really, because the boy was embarrassed about simply _anything_.

When they came to Niall's door, Liam saw even more red appearing in the blonde boy's face before he let them both in, slowly though, only letting Liam come inside after he had already slipped through the door, almost immediately walking off to some room before the older man could even fully take anything in. Exactly that seemed to have been the plan. "I… I'll quickly get my stuff… " 

"Alright, no need to hurry, we still got time until your first class." Liam had made sure to check the time every once in a while, looking around in the boy's flat now, trying not to be overly curious or anything and instead waiting by the door once Niall was out of sight. 

It seemed to be a quite small flat, but it was clean and all, despite the fact that it was a lot more stuffed than Liam's apartment. Which wasn't very surprising though, he didn't like his things on display or lying around, which had already led to a few jokes by the others saying it looked like no one even lived there. Maybe they were right. 

Niall really did not take long at all, a few minutes at most, one time Liam heard something falling and a quiet curse, trying to suppress his smile when Niall came back a short while later, not really looking at Liam though but rather disappearing into what seemed to be the bathroom, probably to grab his toothbrush and stuff. Or maybe his own shower gel because he thought that Liam's smelled bad, you never know. 

When he came back, he had a backpack slung over one shoulder, it seemed to be a bit full and heavy, but Liam knew better than to offer to carry it, just smiling again instead, maybe getting Niall's expression to soften a tiny little bit. "You got everything? We can always come back here in case you've forgotten something, no big deal."

"No, I… I think I got everything… hopefully." The last word came out more quiet as he walked past Liam to the door, taking an almost inaudible breath before speaking again, as if he had to get the courage to first of all. "Uh… it's fine if you… if you bring me to college now, I… I still have to read something anyways… "

"Okay then, let's go." Liam somehow doubted the reading part, but he couldn't force Niall to spend more time with him until his classes started, plus he was pretty sure the boy would be safe in a public building, he'd just have to make sure he'd pick him up again in time. Well, and hopefully Niall wouldn't hesitate to call him in case anything happened, which was more of Liam's concern right now than the fact that the blonde boy was kinda trying to get away from him a little bit. Not that Liam could've blamed him really, the situation was slightly weird after all.

 

——————

 

It was a kind of uneventful day, after bringing Niall to college, Liam had tried to get the whole thing off of his mind for a bit as he drove to the police station, chatting shortly with Louis and Zayn before already having to get into the car with Harry, getting a short glimpse of how he was treating the new guy when he got into the driver's seat instead of him. Harry was still laughing an hour later over how the new one had almost fallen to Liam's feat at trying to get out of the car as quickly as possible.

Nothing big happened, which was good, not only because Harry couldn't have been running very long with his leg, but it also was kinda nice to know that yesterday had been an exception, there weren't always crazy psychos running around. So basically, Harry and Liam just spent the whole day in the car together, one time having to catch some teenagers stealing from a store and then having to explain to some old lady that it wasn't her cat that had gotten stuck in the tree but rather a piece of cloth. Exciting.

There was also nothing knew at all about the case, Liam had talked to his boss shortly before leaving, getting nothing besides a 'that's none of your concern anyways, is the boy alright?' so he doubted that any of his theories would be welcome, just like expected.

When it was time to pick Niall up to bring him back to his apartment, Liam kinda didn't like the fact that Harry was there too, already cracking jokes on the way, or the fact that they were in a police car, but he had no choice really, he was just more than relieved to see Niall waiting at the spot they had agreed on, a few people staring as he got into the backseat.

It went fine though, even if Harry talked a bit too much, trying to make smalltalk with Niall, asking how college had been, barely ever receiving any long answers though, just like expected. Looking into the rear view mirror, all Liam could see was a bright red face and eyes very concentrated on not once meeting his own.

Leaving Niall alone in his own apartment wasn't exactly what Liam felt like doing, especially not after last night, but he had no choice and Niall told him that it'd be fine, trying to hide his slightly shaky hands and the crack in his voice. So naturally, the rest of the day, this was the only thing on Liam's mind, since there weren't any real incidents and talking to Harry wasn't that much of a distraction either.

Of course Liam knew it was bad to worry this much already after only one day, but he just couldn't help himself when Niall was behaving so helpless and shy, Liam kinda had to keep himself from walking down the hallway too quickly when he was finally home at the end of the day, making sure to not fumble too long with the keys because that would've probably freaked Niall out as well.

"I'm back!" Making sure to announce his arrival as soon as possible, Liam dropped his bags on the floor as he slipped out of his shoes, he might have bought a bit too much to eat, but he never usually kept a lot at home and he had kinda felt guilty for it now since Niall was staying with him and all.

There was no answer whatsoever, so Liam went on a little search for the boy as soon as he had locked the door behind him, thinking that maybe Niall had already gone to bed since it was 9 pm or something, not too late, but he had also gone to bed quite early last night. 

Turned out that Liam didn't even have to go as far as to check the boy's room because he could hear the TV very well in his quiet apartment, even if the sound was almost off when Liam walked into the living room. "Hey, Niall, I… "

Then he randomly broke off as his eyes fell onto the couch and he stopped for a second to just watch, forgetting what he had even been planning on saying. Niall was deep asleep with the TV still on, some soap that Liam payed no attention to as he made sure to walk over quietly, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach. The boy looked even younger curled up on the couch and sleeping, in a what appeared to be not a very comfortable position.

He seemed to already have showered because his hair was all tousled up and he had changed into some of the clothes he had probably packed from home, they weren't too big anymore but not very fitting either, which maybe had something to do with the fact that he was so skinny and small, Liam didn't really wanna spend too many thoughts on it to be honest, he kinda had trouble just looking at Niall without having his thoughts drift off too much. It's just… he was kinda cute, no denying that.

His sleep seemed to be somewhat deep, since he hadn't woken up when Liam had talked and all, but the older man still tried to be quiet as he hesitated for a moment, never looking away from Niall's curled up figure though as he sat on the coffee table. Not to be able to watch the blonde boy even better, just because he didn't really know what to do now.

Of course he could've woken him, but that'd be really mean considering the fact that he hadn't gotten enough sleep last night because of his nightmares, so Liam just stared at him for a little while longer like a creeper, feeling bad again because of the whole situation. Seeing Niall like this was making it even harder to not care too much, he was so young and he was all alone and terrified, how could Liam have not felt responsible for him?

Still, he tore himself away after a few more minutes, turning the TV off though before going to unpack the stuff he had bought, he thought about getting Niall a blanket while filling his fridge a bit, thinking that he could still do it afterwards though. Maybe the boy woke up in the meantime, it'd be better for him if he did because he must've been hungry and also, if he slept now then the chances of him waking up in the middle of the night were a lot higher as well.

But he didn't. Niall stayed asleep even while Liam went to have a shower and changed, it was already after 10 pm by then but he simply did not have the heart to disturb the boy, not even after he himself had eaten something. There was nothing that was better for Niall than getting a good night's sleep, so Liam simply decided he was gonna make him eat breakfast tomorrow instead, slightly worried about how protective he had already gotten.

Since there was no other option really, Liam hesitated only for a moment, watching the boy sleep before carefully putting an arm underneath his bent knees and getting one around his shoulders before standing back up, lifting Niall into his arms without a problem at all, he seemed to not weigh more than a feather to be honest.

Niall stirred only a little bit while Liam carried him to his room, trying his hardest to watch his step instead of looking down at the boy's sleepy and soft face, still a tiny bit surprised when Niall lightly grabbed onto his shirt, very obviously not realizing what he was doing, but… it didn't change the fact that Liam was hyper aware of it, also of the tiny sound that escaped the blonde boy, giving him a tug to his stomach. God, why did he have to be so likeable and cute looking, it only made this whole thing way harder than necessary.

Liam almost caught himself wishing he could've held the boy for a little bit longer, he pushed that thought far away though once he had entered Niall's room, turning the lights on with his elbow before going over to the bed slowly, very carefully and gently attempting to lower the boy onto the mattress and the still messed up blanket. Turned out to be a lot harder than expected, not only because Liam felt kinda bad for having to leave the room soon.

"Mmmh… noo… " His voice was barely understandable, but his fingers curled into Liam's shirt tightened when the older man attempted to stand back up after having put Niall down, worriedly looking down into his crunched up face, eyes still closed. "Noo, I… don't want to… "

"Hey, shh, you're just dreaming, Niall, everything's okay, calm down, it's fine." Not knowing what to do, Liam grabbed onto Niall's hand clenched around his shirt, softly opening up the fingers but not letting go just yet, he was desperate to make the boy feel better now, praying that this wasn't another nightmare. "Sleep, it's just a dream, nothing more."

"I… noo… no, Liam… Liam…" At the mentioning of his name, Liam froze immediately, he was still holding Niall's hand, not even thinking of letting go now, also because he had kinda forgotten about it, just squeezing it because he was already at it while looking down at the boy stirring, his face not at all relaxed anymore. He really needed to wake him up.

"Niall, I'm here, come on, wake up, you're just having a nightmare." Gently shaking his shoulder with his free hand after sitting down on the mattress, the older man tried not to think about how his name had sounded out of Niall's mouth right now, he had almost sounded as if he had been crying. Crying for Liam. But that was just a dream right, nothing else, he was gonna get over this. "Niall, c'mon, buddy, you're alright, wake up." 

It took a few more words and a bit more shaking before Niall's breathing got a bit more normal again, he was clinging to Liam's hand as he cracked his eyes open, needing shortly to realize what was going on while Liam was just relieved that his nightmare was over. Actually being there while the boy had one was way worse than just being told about it like last night, the only good thing was that at least Niall wasn't crying right now, his hand still in Liam's as he tried to catch his breath, confusion but also fright written across his face as he stared up at the older man. "I… I w-was just… "

"Shh, it's okay, I know, I know. Are you okay? Do you wanna tell me about it?" Not that it was a secret what his nightmares were about, but Niall was shaking his head anyways, his eyes getting kinda teary before he noticed their intertwined hands, not immediately trying to pull away but rather flushing brightly.

"I'm s-sorry, I… " Of course he was apologizing, he always was, but he still wasn't letting go of Liam and the brunette man also wasn't trying to pull away, it felt like Niall needed this right now, his breathing was still going a bit too heavy as well and Liam feared that he was gonna start crying any second.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Niall. It's gonna be okay, it was just a dream, right? None of this is ever gonna happen again, I'm here, I'm protecting you." For now, but Liam tried not that think about that, instead he attempted a smile down at the younger boy, squeezing the his much smaller hand softly. "Everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah… " Sniffing a bit, Niall rubbed over his eyes with his free hand, it was clearly shaking, just like his voice, but there weren't any tears so far so that was the only good aspect to look at.

"Do you wanna go eat something maybe? Or try to go back to sleep?" His voice had gotten strangely soft all by itself, Liam just couldn't help it, Niall was so small and he didn't deserve any of this, if it hadn't been the most inappropriate thing ever, Liam would've loved to scoop the boy up in his arms, make sure he was never ever gonna have a single nightmare again. 

"I… I a-ate at college, but I… I d-don't… " Taking a breath, Niall interrupted himself, he wasn't looking at Liam anymore, moving around slightly, maybe to get more comfortable but probably because he felt too shy to carry on talking, he was squishing Liam's fingers that were now in the older man's lap, almost only whispering. "I d-don't wanna … be a-alone… "

"I can wait here until you fall asleep if you want me to, just like last night." Actually, Liam was probably gonna stay longer than that, just to be sure, but he didn't really wanna admit that to Niall, the boy didn't need to know how much exactly he cared about his well being.

"B-But… but if I w-wake up a-again… " Apparently Niall didn't like the idea of Liam leaving very much, but he also wasn't brave enough to actually say that and the brunette tried hard not to sigh right now, he couldn't offer this, he really couldn't. 

"Then you just yell and I'm gonna be right back, I promise, I'm gonna leave my own bedroom door open too, I'm gonna hear you for sure." Niall nodded a little bit at this, but he was still looking down, chewing on his bottom lip now, not very excited about that idea obviously, his cheeks getting even more blushed if somehow possible. Shit, get it together Liam, you can't fucking sleep in a room with him, this would be going way too far. "You'll be okay, I promise, nobody is gonna hurt you."

"I k-know, I just… " Slowly pulling his hand from Liam's grip now, maybe out of embarrassment, Niall started rubbing at his eyes again with closed fists now, looking almost like a child while doing so, immediately giving Liam yet another sting to his heart. "I feel b-better when… when y-you're there…"

Of course he did. Just the thought of how scared Niall had maybe been today when Liam had been gone for so many hours was something he didn't even want to consider, it made him feel like fucking trash to think about that tomorrow would be almost the same, and then the next day too and then soon Niall would be all alone again all day long and god… Liam just was so bad at shutting his damn mouth, usually he was good at this, because it was literally his job, but not tonight and not with Niall. "I can also stay if you want me to, I can sleep on the floor."

"W-What? I… n-no, you… you don't h-have to…" His blue eyes had gone wide at the offer as he looked up all of a sudden, but Liam had actually been damn serious, he knew he was gonna regret this tomorrow, not only because of back pains but also because this was totally not helping with trying to not let Niall get attached and used to this, but… he couldn't be so cruel, he just wasn't able to do it. 

"It's alright, I don't mind at all, I just want you to be able to sleep, yeah? I've slept on the floor many times, trust me." Well, maybe once or so, but Liam attempted a smile anyways, quickly thinking this through again but knowing himself well enough, he wasn't gonna back out anymore, especially not when Niall seemed to relax a little bit at the thought of not having to be alone. "I'll just go and get a blanket and a pillow, okay? I'll be gone for half a second, I promise."

"O-Okay…" See? He wasn't even trying to talk Liam out of this anymore, his face was pale though as Liam stood up, trying another smile at the boy before leaving the room, hurrying up as he walked down the hall to his own room.

God, he was so damn stupid for doing this, but he also kinda felt relieved, he knew he would've been lying in bed tonight worrying about Niall, at least this way he would notice right away if something was up. Then again, in the end it wasn't gonna help either of them, Liam was pretty sure now that Niall was not gonna be cured in a few days, he wouldn't be ready to go back to his own flat, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. And honestly, Liam had 0 ideas what he was gonna do about that.

When he came back to Niall's room, the blonde boy had curled up underneath his blanket, he seemed rather comfortable when Liam closed the door, dropping his own blanket and pillow on the carpet next to the bed, smiling at the younger boy, his hand hovering over the light switcher. "Is it alright if I turn it off?"

"Yeah…" He mumbled into his pillow, allowing Liam to turn the lights off before easily finding his spot on the floor, the blinds weren't shut anyways, so it wasn't like it was pitch black in the room now, just quite dark. "Liam…"

"Yeah?" Trying to somehow get comfortable down there, Liam quickly ignored the fact that he had forgotten his phone in the other room, he always woke up at the same time anyways, he just needed to be with Niall now, priority number one, even if it was wrong, but he would have still offered it a second time.

Especially when he got reactions like this. "I… thank y-you… thank you s-so much for d-doing this…" 

"It's fine, Niall, I'm happy if I can help, yeah? If you need anything you can just ask me, I just want you to be alright, I told you, no need to thank me." But it did give Liam a warm feeling, he tried to ignore it, but it somehow made him feel a bit light headed, or maybe it was the hard floor that had him joking like this. "We can also hold hands again if that helps you."

There was some silence after this and Liam was about to apologize for that poor attempt to cheer up the mood, moving around a bit under his blanket, immediately freezing up though when he heard the boy's broken voice from up on the bed. "Okay…i-if you don't m-mind…" 

Had he just agreed to holding Liam's hand? Even worse… had Liam _seriously_ offered it just like that? "I… okay, if you want to, anything that helps you falling asleep, yeah?"

Of course he tried to sound casual, but there was no denying that Liam wanted to slap himself when Niall really did let his arm hang off over the edge of the bed, it wasn't very high so Liam had no trouble reaching it, especially not because Niall's skin was so pale, even in the darkness. "Thank you…"

"That's okay, buddy… try and sleep now, yeah?" Liam couldn't fucking believe that they were doing this, his mind and eyes were wide open as soon as he had gotten a grip around Niall's kinda cold and small hand again, still squeezing gently though, not really thinking about it either, just focused on not letting it affect his voice so Niall wouldn't notice his inner conflict.

They were so screwed now, both of them, Niall was gonna go to sleep now holding Liam's hand and Liam wasn't gonna even try and close his eyes, he had messed the whole thing up, had blown his whole act and now he was in too fucking deep. And so was Niall, how in god's name was this boy gonna be able to get through this on his own? And how was Liam gonna live with himself not knowing if the boy was alright?

He wasn't sure if he ever wanted to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days went exactly like this, Liam would bring Niall to therapy and college and pick him back up, the blonde boy had to spend a few hours by himself and when Liam came back they would eat something and talk, provided Niall was still awake. 

It almost had a weird kind of routine to it that the older man got used to very quickly, the only bad aspect to it was that Niall had nightmares almost every single night, Liam slept on his floor once more, he would've done it more often but Niall told him that it was fine, clearly embarrassed about it, especially about the holding hands part.

So from there on, Liam would just wait until the boy had fallen asleep again and then watch him a little bit too long before going back to his own room. By now it was almost hard for him to even close his eyes in fear anything would be wrong with Niall and he wouldn't even notice. Although by now, Niall might have even come to him by himself, there was nodenying that they got along quite well, Niall got a bit more comfortable, less stuttering and all, but he didn't lose his blushed cheeks and maybe Liam was kinda glad about that. There was nothing wrong about admitting that it was cute, right?

There wasn't really a limit to how long Niall was gonna stay with Liam, his boss had said 'about a week or so' but he clearly had thought they'd catch the guy before that. Which they hadn't, there wasn't even a scent of trace of him and it kinda worried everyone, mostly Liam though because well, despite his tries, he had kinda gotten slightly protective and caring feelings for Niall. How could he have not, right? It wasn't his fault.

They hadn't talked about Liam bringing Niall back home and by now the older man was starting to think about just not doing it, he didn't mind Niall being here, not at all, he felt better knowing the boy was safe and here with him, so of course he wasn't really keen on bringing him home. Even if that would've been the right thing to do, just… he fucking couldn't leave this kid alone, could he? He didn't even care about not getting paid to it anymore after a while.

Liam came home really late that night, he had texted Niall to make himself something to eat a few hours ago because he wouldn't be there until about 11 pm. So when he entered his apartment, it was all quiet and dark and Niall's door was closed, which was good because it meant Niall was already asleep, hopefully not having nightmares for once. Although by now, it seemed unlikely that he wasn't gonna have any, he was still rather scared and careful and staying too close to Liam whenever they were outside, very obviously having a hard time to get over what had happened.

Because of that, Liam decided to still check on him after showering and changing, knocking lightly on the door, just in case, before slowly opening it, expecting the boy to be asleep with the bedside table light on. But he wasn't, he was actually wide awake with all the lights turned off, only the screen of his phone allowing Liam to even see his face. "Hey… "

Niall flinched slightly, which probably was because he had had his headphones in, not having heard that Liam had come home or knocked, but he took them out now, lowering his phone a bit as he sat up more properly, rubbing his left eye with his knuckles. "You're really late…"

There was a tug to Liam's heart, he was still leaning in the doorframe, glad when Niall turned on the lamp on his bedside table because it allowed him to see the boy better, getting reassurance that he hadn't been crying. Or at least there were no remains left of it. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. We had this case and you know, was more complicated than we thought… are you okay? Did anything happen?"

"No, I… I'm okay, I watched some TV and… yeah." He shrugged, his face a bit tired yet he obviously hadn't tried to sleep yet, the obvious reason why made Liam feel really bad for having stayed at work for so long, even if it hadn't been his own fault.

"Okay. Can't you fall asleep?" That was a lot more of Liam's concern right now, he himself felt quite tired, but he would have stayed up for Niall, no question. Actually, it was remarkable what he would have done for this boy. 

"I… I was just watching something on my phone…" Now he was looking down, a bad sign, twisting the blanket in his fingers while Liam bit his bottom lip, trying to think of what he could do to help Niall falling asleep.

"I can… wait here with you until you get tired enough to sleep, you know." He would've also watched whatever Niall had been watching on his phone with him, or done anything else the boy wanted to really, they had been talking a lot during the past few days, mostly once Liam had come back from work, also about completely normal things and by now it almost felt like they were friends. 

"No, I… it's okay, I know you're tired and you had a long day, I… I'm gonna be fine, Liam, thank you." That's one thing that hadn't changed though, sometimes it hurt to see how hard Niall was trying to act like he was 100% fine when he was so clearly the complete opposite, just… what could Liam have said? He didn't wanna be too pushy, somehow still trying to cling onto his attempts in trying to keep the appropriate emotional distance. As if that was even possible anymore. 

"Are you sure? I… I know you sleep better when you aren't alone." At least not in the process of falling asleep, Liam had no idea how often the boy really woke up during the night without telling him. 

"Yeah, I… I don't, uh… want you to have to stay up for me." Niall shrugged slightly, still looking down at his blanket, bottom lip pushed back, his hair all messed up, again wearing his usual sleep shirt that made him look so small and helpless. He was gonna kill Liam at some point, the older man's mouth was just standing open for a second or two, no fitting answer coming to his mind though he should have always had a fucking answer because he was a bloody cop, but none of it worked when Niall was there for some reason, he was just so… so _Niall_.

For a moment or two, Liam just stood there, leaned against the door frame, silently watching the younger boy nervously twisting the blanket and chewing his lip, again feeling a rush of guiltiness because of having left him alone for so long. Maybe that's why his face and voice got all soft, somehow not even feeling bad for what he said then, it's not like he had a choice, it was his job to make sure the boy was alright, wasn't it? "Come on."

"… where?" The boy cocked his head slightly, almost making Liam laugh if he hadn't been in such an inner conflict, quickly pushing away every feeling inside of him that was telling him that this was more than wrong. Especially because their time together was gonna run out sooner or later.

"If you grab your blanket you can sleep in my bed, it's a lot bigger than this one." Yeah, he wasn't joking around, Liam had a double bed, considering how small and skinny Niall was, he'd easily fit in next to the older boy. There wasn't anything weird about it, they kinda were friends now, at least that's how Liam saw it, trying to be all casual while Niall's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "It's fine if you don't want to, but I really wouldn't mind, you know."

There was no real answer, Liam attempted a tiny smile before pretending to be leaving, keeping his eyes on the frozen boy though who suddenly came to life again, his cheeks flushing a deep red as he placed his phone and headphones on the bedside table before slipping onto the ground, a little bit hesitant. "I… do you really not mind if I… if we, uh… sleep in the same bed?"

"Of course not, Niall, I wouldn't have offered it otherwise, would I?" Actually, relief was washing through Liam once the blonde boy nodded a little bit, starting to collect his blanket before coming over to him, always keeping his eyes glued to the ground as he followed the older boy through his apartment. 

Having Niall sleeping in his bed would solve a lot of problems Liam hadn't even though about yet, first, it'd maybe help to save the boy from nightmares, second, if he did have some, Liam would know immediately and thirdly, he wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving Niall alone anymore. Now he'd just feel guilty about letting it come this far but he could push these kinda thoughts into the back of his head if he just told himself that it was the best for the younger boy.

He followed Liam very shyly like expected, stopping in the doorframe then when they got to the older man's room, just holding onto his blanket for a bit, still torturing his by now swollen bottom lip. "You can have that side, alright? It's fine, my bed is big enough for two, I don't mind at all, promise."

"O-Okay… " Still, Niall's steps were slow as he walked over to the side of the bed Liam had been talking about, meeting the brunette man's eyes for a second but quickly looking away again, his face once again having turned into a tomato. It seemed logical that he was more than embarrassed about this, but the fact that he had been convinced so easily said a lot as well. There was no way Liam would be able to keep mentally sane if he left Niall alone, he was quite positive of that now as he watched the blonde boy crawling into his own bed in the must clumsy way possible.

"Alright?" Liam asked once Niall had somewhat settled down, there were a lot of pillows so he could easily have one, trying to spread his blanket out too and tucking himself in, still half sitting up though when Liam asked him while turning the lights in the hallway off and closing his bedroom door.

"Yeah… " His quiet voice almost broke, his nervousness kinda understandable, in all honesty, maybe Liam was a bit nervous too, but that feeling disappeared every time he looked at Niall, seeing how much he needed this, how much he just needed someone to keep him safe and be there for him. It didn't take a genius to realize that.

"Good, there's no need to be uncomfortable, yeah? It's okay." Liam promised once more, just to be sure, turning the main light off and just leaving the one next to his bed on before getting in on the other side, feeling strangely content all of a sudden, like, so much about not wanting to take Niall home with him a few days ago. "Do you think you're tired enough to sleep? We can also talk, you know, anything you want really, I don't mind."

"I… I think I'm tired enough… " He mumbled, very much against what he had been doing before in his room, but of course Liam knew why Niall had stayed awake, which made him feel even better seeing the boy moving to fully lie down now, somehow it was nice to know he could make someone else feel so much safer by just being there. "Thank y-"

"Don't, Niall, seriously. You don't have to do that, I wouldn't offer any of this if I wanted you to thank me for it. You know I… " Then Liam hesitated because he wasn't sure if it'd be wise to carry on, then again though, they were currently in the same bed and even if Liam was still sitting up, Niall was curled up underneath his blanket, quickly looking away when their eyes met yet he seemed a lot more comfortable now. Niall just sometimes needed time to get used to things, Liam had already figured that out, also that if he wanted the boy to feel less shy, he couldn't hide his own feelings towards all of this either, which was why he continued to speak, hoping it'd help the blonde boy to calm down. "I really do care about you, I… I really wish I could help you to get rid of all these nightmares and to just forget what happened and I know it's hard, just… if there's anything I can do to make it better then I'm glad, even if it just helps a little bit."

No immediate answer, Liam almost reached out for his phone when he heard Niall's half whisper somewhere mumbled into his pillow, stirring a bit so he could lie on his stomach now. "You are making it better… a lot."

Again, there was this warmth filling Liam's stomach, the urge to smile down at the boy almost impossible to ignore. "I'm happy if I am, I just want you to be alright. So… how was college today?"

The topic change had kinda felt necessary, so Niall would manage to get his face to cool down again before going to sleep, but also because Liam remembered that they had barely talked today and truth be told, he liked when they talked about non serious things. "Oh… it was okay… it's always good on fridays."

"Of course it is." Liam felt a bit dumb for just laughing softy but it came out without him spending a thought on it, half lying down as well now. "You know the essay you wrote the other day? Did you get it back?"

Was it weird that Liam had remembered that even it had only been two days ago? Maybe it was but Niall answered anyways, his voice not too shaky anymore now, he might have even sounded a tiny bit proud. "Yeah… I got an A."

"Hey, that's awesome, Niall." It really was and Liam meant it, he had figured out that Niall was always getting really good grades and it was kinda impressive to him, especially now in this kinda situation. 

"You think so?" Niall moved at this, just turning his head to look over at Liam, there was a pink flush on his cheeks but also a tiny, sleepy smile that the older man almost returned embarrassingly quickly.

"Of course it is. I've never gotten any good grades in college, don't know how you're pulling it off." Maybe it was good Liam had become a police officer, he had never been good at learning things by heart. 

"I don't know… " Shrugging a bit, Niall turned onto his side now, facing Liam but never looking at him for too long, at least now though, his nervousness seemed to have gone down to a minimum. "Sometimes I like studying, I … I like getting good grades."

"How can you enjoy studying, that's not even possible, liar." Of course it was a joke, Liam made sure the blonde boy knew, almost feeling euphoric when he he heard a giggle next to him, barely able to draw his eyes away from his somewhat happy face. It was nice seeing him like this after everything, he barely ever laughed or smiled, it almost made Liam feel tingly to be the cause of it. "What do you wanna do after you've finished college?"

"Um… I don't know yet, I don't wanna like… set my mind on one thing and then not be able to work there, I just… I'm trying to be good so that I can… do anything I want. And I'm far from being done so… " Well, Liam had to admit that that was kinda smart, as little as Niall seemed to be able to survive on his on the outside, he still had things figured out somehow, it was kinda remarkable really, Liam couldn't ever imagine his 18 year old self in such a situation. And Niall had been on his own for a lot longer actually. 

"I'm sure you're gonna end up doing something you like, especially if you keep trying this hard." Smiling down at him once more, Liam had to draw his eyes away afterwards before his look could turn into fond as he watched Niall covering his mouth as he yawned, a tiny noise escaping that Liam felt in his heart. "Should we go to sleep? It's quite late."

"Yeah… if you can't sleep because I'm in here then… then you can tell me to go and-"

"Niall, honestly, I actually feel better having you here than if you weren't, okay? I'm serious, just go to sleep, you need it." The boy flushed again but he nodded, his face a lot less depressed than usually as he snuggled into the pillow under Liam's stare, pulling the blanket up even higher as he made himself comfortable. "I'll turn the lights off, okay?"

"Okay…" His voice was already heavy with sleep as Liam plunged them into darkness, putting an alarm on his phone before fully lying down as well, not really thinking about the fact that they were lying face to face now, with some distance between them of course, but still. "Goodnight, Liam."

"Night, Ni." Liam barely noticed the way he had cut Niall's name off, sometimes he did think about the boy by that nickname, he had just never said it out loud until now, but after a second of freezing, he decided that it was fine, it kinda fit to the blonde boy, mostly because it was cute but that's not exactly what Liam liked to think about to be honest. Especially not when they were in the same bed.

None of them slept in that easily, it took some time to get used to having someone else breathing right next to you on the same mattress, Niall would turn back and forth a few times, ending up a lot closer to the older man in the end. Somehow Liam started thinking about them holding hands two night in a row while waiting for sleep to come over him, how it had helped Niall to sleep, but since he didn't want to offer it again or say anything and risk waking the boy, Liam just slowly reached over, placing his hand on the boy's back since he was still on his stomach, just letting it rest there, to reassure him that he was there. The turning stopped immediately, Niall's breathing getting more even in less than five minutes and Liam couldn't believe his touches had such a calming effect for the boy. Not that that was a bad feeling, quite the opposite actually.

Still, it did take him a while longer to be able to drift off himself, not because Niall was there but because he was worried about what was gonna happen the next few days. Liam had no idea how he'd be able to handle not knowing what would happen to Niall, he didn't know why he had grown such a liking for the boy and so many protective feelings, it had just happened despite his tries to prevent them getting attached in any way.

And now Niall couldn't sleep anymore on his own because of nightmares and Liam couldn't either because he was more concerned about the boy than his own well being.

 

——————

 

The reason why Liam basically woke up at the first sign of his phone going off was probably because he had always had a light sleep, especially in the kind of job he had, it wasn't so unlikely to sometimes be called at night for whatever reason, never a very pleasant one though.

So naturally, Liam groaned as he turned onto his back, his eyes still pressed closed as he blindly searched for his phone, kinda in panic that it'd wake Niall up even if he hadn't heard anything yet, trying his best to keep somewhat quiet even if his voice was raspy and too deep, still half asleep as he picked up without checking the display. "Yeah…?"

"Payne?" Of course it was his boss, Liam wasn't surprised at this yet he was still annoyed of course, he felt so fucking tired and adding up to that, there was also the chance of Niall waking up. 

"'m off duty… " Was all Liam managed to mumble into the phone, slightly more awake now as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand, there was no chance he was ever gonna have a good night's sleep anytime soon.

"Not anymore." Great, this was already sounding bad, Liam suppressed a groan as he pushed himself into a sitting position, falling asleep while being on the phone with his boss wouldn't be very beneficial for him. "You gotta come here immediately, and bring the boy, he's gotta look at a suspect, we think we got the guy."

"You-…" Immediately, Liam felt a lot more awake, his heart beat speeding up slightly as he tried to process this information, already feeling his stomach drop a little at the thought of waking up Niall, he couldn't see his face in darkness, but he had seen it often enough to know that it'd physically pain him to disturb his sleep. "Can't this wait until tomorrow, Niall-"

"No, Liam, we gotta know now, bring the boy here." And then he hung up on Liam, only leaving him to sigh, very obviously not even having considered to wait until tomorrow. Which made sense though, Liam knew why this was an essential information to know, just… he really didn't wanna do this to Niall, getting him out of bed right now to drive him to the police station and force him to possibly look at the guy who was giving him nightmares every fucking night.

Still, after a few moments of hesitation and checking the time, barely 2 am, Liam finally realized that he had no choice but to turn on the lights again, his heart almost stopping the second he turned his head to look over at the other side of the bed, or rather the middle because Niall had moved a lot closer in his sleep.

It seemed like a crime to wake the boy, he was all cuddled up underneath the blanket, face pressed into the pillow, his lips only slightly partly as he breathed evenly, quietly, his fist clenched into the pillow, face for once all relaxed, not even a hint of a nightmare having crossed his sleep. This was gonna kill Liam for sure.

He had no idea how to do this in the nicest way possible, Liam almost felt the urge to reach out and run his fingers through the boy's hair or something, which he didn't do of course, just placing his hand gently on Niall's arm was enough, almost unconsciously moving his thumb over his skin. "Hey, Ni… I'm so sorry, buddy, but you gotta wake up, okay? Niall… "

"Hmmm… Liam?" Stirring a bit, Niall's eyes were still closed but his face crunched up slightly, the older boy still stroking over his arm softly, not being able to bring himself to stop somehow, he just felt so bad for doing this, it was almost unbearable. 

"Yeah, I'm here, it's all good, yeah? I just need you to wake up for a bit, I… I'm so sorry for waking you, but I just got a call and… we gotta drive to the police station." Better just say it, at least now Niall started to slowly blink his eyes open, turning onto his back in the process until Liam's hand slipped, but he kept on watching the boy anyways, guilt spreading inside of him once more. It shouldn't even be legal to be as cute as Niall while yawning and rubbing his eyes, looking all lost and sleepy as he stared up at the older man in confusion, "Hey… I'm sorry, Ni, they… have a guy and they think it might be the right one and… they need you to look at him."

"Oh… " Was all that escaped him at first, eyes immediately going a bit wider, the sleepiness washing away slightly to make room for fear, Liam could almost watch the boy starting to get nervous and it was killing him. "Okay… "

"I'm really sorry I had to wake you, I promise I'll make them hurry up so we can drive back, yeah?" There was nod, so Liam tried a hopefully encouraging smile, quickly touching the boy's bare arm once more before moving to get out of bed, not turning quickly enough though to not see the redness tainting Niall's cheek. 

Liam put on some real pants, telling Niall that it'd be fine if he just went in his shirt and sweatpants, no one would care one bit, but also, he kinda wanted them to see that they better not fucking call him at 2 am again to drag Niall to the station. Yeah, Liam was praying internally that it was the right guy, but something told him that it wasn't the case, some bad feeling in the pit of his stomach kept him from being too hopeful. They hadn't had a clue about who it was, why would they have suddenly found him?

Niall was so sleepy that Liam was scared the boy might pass out while walking, he didn't even apologize like he usually did when he accidentally bumped into Liam from walking too close in the garage, goosebumps on his arms, making the older man feel more than just bad for not having told him to put something on over his shirt. Then again though, it wasn't even his place to say anything, but after sleeping in the same bed, it probably wouldn't have seemed too strange anymore either, there was barely any line that hadn't been crossed between them by now and Liam should've been worried, but actually, he lived easier slowly accepting the fact that he cared way too much about this kid.

"Liam… " Niall started once they were in the car, playing with his fingers, head turned towards the window while Liam pulled onto the main road, worried at how quiet and nervous the blonde boy's voice sounded. "What if… what if I can't remember what he looks like? What … what if I'm not sure if it's the guy or not? I don't wanna say anything wrong… "

"If you're not sure you can just say that and it's fine, okay? There's no need to worry, Niall, what you say only partly affects what happens to the guy, they can't expect you to remember his face perfectly, just say what you're thinking and I promise it's gonna be the right thing." The fact that Niall was the only witness made this a bit harder, Liam hated the fact that there was no one else they could've asked, why did it have to be Niall, why did he have to be confronted with it again after going to therapy in order to forget? Of course Liam was aware that this was necessary, didn't mean he also approved of it though.

"Okay, and… when I look at him, um… won't he see me too? I… don't want him to look at me, what if… what if it's the right guy and then… Liam, I'm scared." This was exactly why it was so fucking wrong to drive there right now, if he hadn't known he had to without exception, Liam would have honestly pulled around.

"He won't see you, Ni, don't worry." The nickname slipped out once more by accident, also, Liam almost reached over to hold the younger boy's hand in his, just to calm him down somehow, but instead he gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to hold back and focus on the street. "You know in movies, when they show the police talking to a suspect, they put him in a room where you can watch them from the outside but the suspect itself can't see who's watching them? It's like that, he won't even know you were there, it's all gonna be fine and I'm here, okay? I'll make sure we can leave again as soon as possible, don't worry."

"Okay… promise?" Okay, now Liam couldn't take it anymore, he hesitated for only a moment, conveniently stopping at a red light as he reached over, not grabbing Niall's hand in his but rather carefully placing it on his arm, kinda surprised that the boy didn't even flinch.

"Promise." Their eyes met for just a second , even if it was kinda dark in the car, so just for once Liam couldn't tell whether the boy was blushing, but he did lean his head back against the seat, as if he had finally managed to relax a bit, but maybe that was Liam's imagination playing him a trick. "Are you still tired?"

"Yeah, but I… I didn't have a nightmare, I… I wasn't even dreaming anything at all…" That was good, it made the older man smile involuntarily as he pulled his hand back to drive on, his throat getting a bit tight as he thought about that the times he could offer Niall to sleep in his bed were limited. "It was nice… "

"I'm glad you didn't have a nightmare, it'll be good for you to sleep through a whole night again. I know that's not really what happened tonight, but it's saturday tomorrow and we can sleep in, yeah? I won't wake you early, no worries." Something to look forward to at least, even if it was the tiniest glimpse of hope, Liam was gonna keep holding onto that because everything else going on around them wasn't very nice to think about anyways.

"Thank you, Li…" No idea if Liam just didn't hear the last two letters of his name or if Niall had decided to come up with a nickname too, either way it gave the older man some happiness before pulling into an empty parking spot, taking a quiet breath because he was so ready to leave already and they hadn't even gotten out of the car yet.

"No problem. Come on, let's get this over with." He clearly sounded less enthusiastic than he wanted to be, there might have been some sound coming from Niall's side but Liam wasn't quite sure, it wasn't a secret what the younger boy was thinking about all of this after all. 

Of course Niall waited for Liam to walk around the car and lock it, almost staying glued to his side then all the way inside, but also once they entered the station of course, even more actually, not even scared anymore of bumping into him then. In fact, Liam felt so bad for him that he decided it'd be fine to place his hand on the small of Niall's back, to guide him a little bit, applying some pressure to show him that he was there. 

Being here again with the blonde boy felt slightly weird, Liam didn't like anything about this situation as he tried to walk Niall to his boss's office as quickly as possible, only briefly greeting some of his co workers, relieved that they barely paid any attention to them in the first place. Also, coming here at 2 am in normal clothes with a terrified Niall was not really helping to put Liam into the mood for conversation of any sort, they were just gonna look at this guy and leave again.

Liam didn't even have to knock at the door because his boss was just coming out right at this second, almost hitting Niall with it who immediately pressed into Liam's side, obviously having decided that he had no time to get embarrassed now, "Oh, Payne, nice of you to have finally made it."

"There was traffic." Shrugging, Liam ignored the slight glare he got for that, only focusing on slowly rubbing his palm up and down Niall's back, somehow automatically, hoping the shaking was gonna stop. "So where's the guy? Don't think there's a need to drag this out."

"No, there isn't." His boss agreed, his eyes shifting from Liam to Niall, only for a moment though, his face staying completely straight as he gestured for them to follow him even though Liam knew the way, only focusing on watching Niall's step though rather than his own, he seemed shaky on his feet, keeping his head down. 

"How come you suddenly caught him? I thought there was no process the whole week." Not caring that they weren't alone, Liam decided to openly let his annoyance show, if this was gonna end how he thought it would then he would have every reason to as well.

"I would rather speak to you in private about this to be honest. But if you insist on knowing, someone working in a shop nearby claims the guy we have right now has purchased a mask a day before the incident occurred." So that was all they had, Liam held back though, deciding not to groan or say anything stupid, still rubbing Niall's back slowly while they were walking, somehow not even noticing his hand movements anymore.

"And what does he say to his defense?" Did Liam even want to know?

"He said it was for his son's birthday party." So they had been dragged out of bed because some guy had decided to buy a freaking mask somewhere in this city, Liam was gonna go mad or something, seriously, was he gonna have to get used to be called in the middle of the night to look at random people? "I know what you are thinking, Liam, so don't you dare say anything now, this isn't your place to speak nor is it your case, you're simply here because you had to bring the boy."

Rolling his eyes, Liam bit his tongue then, moving his arm to wrap around Niall's shoulders as the boy pressed closer into him once they approached the room the suspect was being held in, two of Liam's co workers supervising him through both a computer screen and a window, one of them looking up as he saw them coming, smirking knowingly at Liam. "Took you quite long, mate."

"I-"

"I don't wanna hear anything now." The chief cut them off immediately, seemingly annoyed now as he led them closer before turning around, his eyes focused on the blonde boy now who flinched terribly, causing Liam's stomach to turn. "Niall Horan, would you please tell us if this is the man you have seen breaking into the coffee shop or not?"

"I-I…" Niall was terrified now, Liam could tell but he spared his breath, instead putting both hands on the boy's shoulders while standing behind him, staring through the glass at the man who was sitting at a table, hands in cuffs, his distressed face saying more than a thousand words. "It… it doesn't, um… l-look like him… I think, I-I… I'm not s-sure but…"

The answer had come like expected, Liam sighed a bit, squeezing the blonde boy's shoulders before looking away from the suspect. This man did not look like a killer, which didn't say anything really, but also, he didn't seem to even have the same posture or physical appearance like the guy Liam had seen holding a gun to Niall's head. "It's not him."

"I wasn't asking you, Payne. But thank you, his alibi seemed kinda real too, but-"

"What? You called me at 2 am to drag Niall here and look at some guy who had an alibi?!" Not being able to help but getting slightly loud, Liam was becoming rather frustrated, it wasn't a surprise that this wasn't the right guy but that also meant that the real killer was somewhere out there, having blurred all of his traces so perfectly that no one was able to find him. Who know what he'd be capable of.

"We have to look into everything, Liam, and you know that. In fact, I wanna speak to you about this whole thing. Alone." Great, now Liam would have to leave Niall, he hated the thought but nodded anyways, letting his hands slip as the boy turned around to look at him, eyes big and pale face, fear written all over it. 

"I'll be right back, Ni, promise. You sit down here meanwhile, okay? It's okay, buddy." Waiting for a tiny nod, Liam ignored everyone's stares at him as he walked Niall over to sit on some couch, his stomach twisting into knots as he got no smile in return, having to almost force himself to follow the chief around the corner and not throw a look back at Niall. God, why was leaving him so painful? 

"You've grown a liking to the boy." Was the first thing Liam heard once they were out of sight, just in some empty hallway, whatever they had to talk about, it didn't seem to be too much of a secret. 

"Is that a question?" Liam couldn't help but almost snap, he wanted to get Niall back home and put him into bed, make sure he got some more sleep, this couldn't be good for him, constantly being awoken either from nightmares or from Liam himself. 

"No, it's observation. Listen, we have nothing, there are other cases that need looking into and though this guy killed two people, he hasn't done anything else to raise our attention. It might only have been a robbery and these people have gotten in the way, we don't know. Fact is that we don't have anything, we're still gonna keep that other man here for a few more questions, but after the boy being unsure, I suppose we're gonna send him back home." Amazing, now they were gonna drop the bloody case, what was Liam supposed to tell Niall?!

"So you're gonna stop looking for him? He knows what Niall looks like, the fact alone that he manages to stay so hidden proves that he has experience, he-"

"Again, Liam, it's not your case, alright? We're doing everything we can." Which was, nothing at all, but Liam sighed defeatedly, leaning back against the wall while watching the opposite one, unwilling to say anything else since he was gonna get interrupted anyways. "So, how's the boy doing? He seems comfortable with you even if he looks like he might jump at any sound."

"He's fine except for at night, he has nightmares and he doesn't want to be alone, I'm not sure if therapy is helping him." They never really talked about it, but Niall never looked very happy walking out of there.

"Well, it's gonna take time for someone like him to move past this. But he seems to be a lot better now, and his wound is healing too, that's good." Yeah, Liam had been changing band aids for Niall because the boy had been too scared, but it looked a whole lot better now so they had decided to leave it like that, of course it was still visible and it made Liam feel bad looking at it all the time, but it'd heal faster like this anyway. "Since the case is not our main priority anymore, you can bring Niall home, it's your decision when, but you should do it until monday, you'll still get paid for it tomorrow, but we do need you to be back in your normal routine again from next week on."

This was exactly what Liam had been expecting, it'd become impossible for him to drive Niall anywhere or pick him back up if he was in his normal routine, maybe once a while or so, but then again, maybe Niall wouldn't even want that. Liam couldn't just offer him to stay at his place, could he? He couldn't just ask him to move in. "He doesn't seem like he's gonna be fine on his own."

"Well, he has to be again at some point. We can still offer to bring him somewhere else but he has declined multiple times. I know you care about him, Liam, that's also exactly why I have chosen you to do this, it was kinda convenient that you have been the one he's been most comfortable with. But he is gonna have to go back to his normal life and he'll be alright, you've done an excellent job but we simply can't provide this kinda special treatment for him any longer than necessary." So basically… now they didn't care anymore if something happened to Niall, they were gonna drop the case, Liam knew they would and he knew better than to say anything, so he just nodded, despite the fact that he wasn't okay with anything his boss had just said. "He'll be fine."

"Yeah. Are we done now?" Trying to still be somewhat polite, Liam waited for the sigh and then the nod telling him he was allowed to leave, barely taking a second look at his boss before walking back to where Niall was.

The blonde boy was still on the couch like expected, only now he seemed to be seconds from slipping into a deep sleep, completely ignoring the two policemen talking at the other side of the room, not even noticing Liam coming back at first. Just looking at him made the brunette man feel like it'd be impossible for him to ever bring Niall back to his own place, he shouldn't have to be alone and deal with it himself, he was too young and he looked even smaller than he was, it simply wouldn't have been right.

"Hey, Ni… ready to go?" Liam's voice had turned soft by itself once again, he didn't feel too excited though, still trying a small smile when Niall rubbed his eyes, nodding slowly as he was attempting to get up, more than sleepy. "Come on let's leave, I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too…" Niall mumbled, not at all complaining when Liam's arm found its way back around his shoulders, actually, he leaned into the older man while walking back towards the exit, probably only because he was too exhausted to really think about it or be embarrassed. Liam wasn't gonna complain about that newfound affection. 

As soon as they got back into the car Niall's head sunk against the window, there were once again goosebumps on his arms and Liam hated himself once more for not having considered that or even brought anything at all to put on for the blonde boy. "Are you cold? I'll turn on the heating, okay?"

"I'm fine…" A yawn followed after that, it was quite adorable actually, but Liam forced himself to focus on the car instead, praying that the younger boy would get warmer soon, also a little bit to ease his own guilt even if it hadn't exactly been his fault, but it still felt like it. "Um… is everything okay? Because… because you had to talk to your boss I mean… "

"Don't worry about it, everything's fine and you didn't say anything wrong. I don't think it was the guy either." Trying to reassure Niall, Liam was glad to see that the boy still had his head against the window when he briefly check before pulling out of his parking space, turning the heating up even higher after shortly considering it.

"But…. but they will find him though, right?" See, this was where it got difficult, Liam didn't want to lie, he really didn't, but telling Niall the truth wouldn't help either of them, and above that, it wasn't gonna help to make Niall feel better in any way.

"Of course, Ni, you don't have to be scared, I promise, it's gonna be okay. I don't think the guy would ever try anything again, there have been no other cases similar to this one, nothing will happen." Maybe those were a bit too many lies but it was definitely worth it to hear Niall releasing a barely inaudible breath, then another tiny yaw. "It's fine if you fall asleep, you know, I'll wake you when we are back."

"I… I'm just resting my eyes a bit." That alone sounded like he had already slept in, Liam chuckled softly, throwing a look over to see that the younger boy's eyes had in fact fallen closed.

"Alright." Then he stopped talking, not wanting to disturb Niall, he never even planned on waking the boy up or anything, he was just gonna carry him upstairs if he really did fall asleep, it was way too painful to keep this boy from getting his well needed rest.

The whole drive home Liam tried to come up with a solution for their situation, Niall had never really asked about when Liam was gonna bring him back home or anything and the brunette man wasn't quite sure what they had told him at the station. Fact was that after this weekend was over, Liam was gonna have to tell Niall that he was actually supposed to bring him home, and he really should have too because his boss was right, Niall would have to go back to his own life, just… Liam wasn't sure if he was ready to admit that to himself. Or whether it'd be the best for the boy.

So for tonight, he simply decided to push that into the back of his mind, he didn't want to be confronted with it for some reason, never if it had gone after him and he couldn't even be mad at himself having allowed both of them to become so attached because he had tried and it had simply been bloody impossible not to. There was not a doubt, not the strongest person in the world could've stayed cold hearted enough to not take a liking to this boy and care about him, it wasn't Liam's fault.

When he parked the car in his usual spot, Niall had unsurprisingly really fallen asleep in the passenger seat, his breath going even, looking all soft and relaxed when Liam finally managed to lift him into his arms after some complications. It hadn't been too easy doing it from outside of the car, but it worked because of the blonde boy being this light. 

Since Liam had carried Niall before, it wasn't too much of a surprise for him that the younger boy snuggled up to him in his sleep, but also, it gave Liam a lot of trouble trying not to watch Niall's face too closely the whole way long. Especially in the elevator since he had nothing to do except for making sure the boy wouldn't slip out of his arms or anything, so Liam simply gave in, looking down to find himself smiling lightly. Of course only because he was happy that Niall was able to sleep so well through all of this, not because the boy looked exceptionally cute or anything. 

Opening and also unlocking the front door was maybe the hardest part, it almost forced Liam to wake Niall in order to have him stand up for a second or two, but he was very proud of himself when he managed to do it without any of them getting hurt or having to be disturbed in their sleep. Honestly, Liam would have rather tried to open this blood door for an hour straight just so he'd be able to keep on holding the blonde boy, having him snuggle his head in his shoulder and his fingers curling into the collar of Liam's shirt. 

There was no point in bringing Niall to his own bed, so Liam lowered him down into the already messed up side of his own where he had woken up about an hour and a half ago, feeling a slight pain from not being able to hold him any longer. But that was ridiculous of course, he just quickly made sure that Niall was covered with the blanket, glad to see the blonde boy adjusting immediately, turning onto his side with a sigh, his face buried in the pillow, making it impossible for Liam to keep on watching him while standing next to the bed. Maybe it was better like this.

Liam almost managed to lock the front door and use the bathroom in record time before getting back into bed as well, taking embarrassingly long to turn off the lights because he needed to make sure Niall was properly tucked in and alright, not being able to resist then but ever so shortly run his fingers through the blonde hair. Damn, it sure as hell was even softer than it looked like and it caused Niall to let out a content sigh that had Liam pulling his hand back quickly. No need to overdo it. 

The hardest part about turning the lights off and trying to fall asleep was definitely that Liam couldn't look at Niall anymore, he did place his hand on the boy's back again like before though, telling himself that it was because he wanted to make sure Niall knew he was there in case he woke up. 

That was the reason after all, wasn't it, what else could it have been, Liam was just always trying to do anything in his power to make sure the younger boy was alright, nothing else. And that definitely included not immediately telling him about what his boss had told him before.


	5. Chapter 5

When Niall woke up, he felt strangely well rested, not even shaking a tiny bit or having tears streaming down his cheeks like so many night before. No, he just felt really content and almost happy, not immediately having all of his memories back but rather snuggling closer into the comfortable warmness, not wanting to open his eyes just yet but rather staying curled up underneath the blanket for a little bit longer, not having to worry about anything for the moment.

It was only when Niall felt a movement that had definitely not come from himself that he felt a bit disturbed in his lazy slumber, moving even further into what seemed to be a bit too hard for a pillow yet in no way unpleasant, but there still was another sound that caused Niall to worry slightly, mostly because it seemed to not at all fit to the fact that he was alone in his bed and-

"You awake, Ni?" Oh, there was the nickname again.

The second he heard Liam's voice, though it was a bit deeper and raspier than usually, Niall flinched slightly as his eyes flew open, suddenly becoming aware again of the fact that he was most likely in the older man's bed after having fallen asleep in the car last night. At least that seemed to be the only fitting solution, because even though Niall had no idea why Liam would have carried Niall back into his own bed, they appeared to both be there now. And also, Niall hadn't cuddled up to a pillow but rather to Liam. "I-I… I'm sorry, I didn't…-"

"Hey, it's fine, yeah? I know you were asleep and I don't mind it, it's fine if you need a cuddle." There was the chuckle again that had Niall's hair stand on end, not as much as the fact though that he was literally cuddled into Liam's arms, his face pressed into the older man's bare neck, breathing in the kinda familiar scent before freezing up completely, not even knowing whether he should move away or not, like… it was too late anyways and Liam didn't seem to be mad. In fact, his arm was pressing into Niall's back, probably only because he had adjusted in his sleep just like Niall had, not because he had wanted to keep him closer. Not that the blonde boy would have complained, it just seemed very unlikely. "Did you sleep well? I just woke up a few minutes ago as well, I think it's like 1 pm already or something, I haven't checked."

"Oh… yeah, I… I slept good." Extremely good actually, Niall couldn't remember feeling so safe and comfortable in a bed, not even before any of this had happened, and that was more than just embarrassing to think about actually. Niall knew he shouldn't like Liam so much but he just couldn't help it, he was so nice and caring and sometimes, when he waited for Niall to fall asleep or held his hand and changed his band aid, it seemed like he was doing this also a little bit because he wanted to and not only because it was his job. Speaking of which… there was another reason why Niall shouldn't have gotten so used to staying with Liam, because he wouldn't be here forever, in fact, he was pretty sure he was gonna have to go home soon. And there was really nothing in this world he would have wanted to do less than going back to being all alone again.

"I'm glad. I'm really sorry for last night, I talked to my boss but he wanted me to bring you in, he can be quite stubborn." Niall had figured that much out, Liam's boss didn't seem to be very nice, he was surely just being professional and all, but Niall still didn't like him very much, which was also why he had kinda forgotten all of his shyness and just pressed himself as close into Liam as possible last night. Just… there was no one that made Niall feel as safe as Liam did nor had there ever been. It was a strange yet amazing feeling and losing it wasn't gonna help Niall to get better in any way. "Do you want some breakfast by any chance? I'm kinda hungry."

"Yeah, I… me too." When Niall had first gone home with Liam, the brunette man had always kept this distance between the two of them, but all of that seemed to be gone, it had only disappeared gradually, but when he now ruffled Niall's hair, still having held him close all the while through, it caused tingles to spread everywhere in the blonde boy's tummy. Maybe Liam did care about him, maybe he kinda liked him too? Just a tiny little bit at least.

"Alright, come on then, we won't even have to rush for once." That was true, Niall had been slightly nervous about spending a whole weekend with Liam, but when he slowly pulled away from the brunette man, meeting his eyes on accident as he attempted to sit up, he was met by a soft smile. 

"Y-Yeah…" Was all he brought out, quickly clearing his throat quietly, still embarrassed over the fact that he had cuddled so close into Liam, having moved all across the bed in his sleep. At least he had still stayed underneath his blanket.

As they moved out of bed, Niall felt really awake for once, not overly tired because of the lack of sleep he had gotten as a result of his nightmares. Briefly checking the clock on the wall also showed him exactly why that was the case, it was 1:30 pm already, so they had basically slept for ten hours straight, which was about twice as long as Niall had managed to stay asleep for during the whole past week. And all because of Liam's presence.

"I would offer to make pancakes or something, but I'm not very good at anything cooking related." Niall already knew that, he tried to somehow make his hair look more normal by running his fingers through while following Liam to the kitchen. It was a slightly weird feeling, to be around him when he was just wearing sweatpants and a shirt, his hair messy from sleep yet Niall also knew what he looked like in his uniform, while holding a gun. "Unless you are up for some experimental breakfast that may or may not taste like what I was planning on making."

"Um, I… I know how to make them, I can… show you." Shrugging, Niall didn't really wanna show off or anything, but he had thought about this multiple times, that he could have cooked them dinner while Liam was gone so they wouldn't always have to eat fast food. He had just been too shy to use any kitchen utensils, not sure whether he was allowed to and not wanting to ask either. 

"Oh, okay then, we can do that." Liam's smile was warm as he looked over his shoulder, he still seemed to be a bit sleepy, hair flat on his forehead, his brown eyes staring right into Niall's, his plush lips a tiny bit too much of a distraction for the younger boy to keep on looking at him though. God, was it always so hot in here? "Don't get too impatient with me though, I'm really not good at anything cooking related."

"Yeah, I know…" Niall mumbled, it had slipped out, he hadn't meant to be rude but it was too late, his face blushing brightly as Liam laughed softly, touching his arm in a way that had Niall feeling butterflies in his tummy. Or wait, no, of course there weren't any butterflies, he just wasn't used to randomly being touched like that.

"Hey, that's really mean, Niall, I'm trying my best." Seeing Liam pretending to be mad was even weirder, he was almost starting to behave as if they were friends, Niall would have _loved_ to be Liam's friend, no doubt, just, he probably would never hear from him again once he was back home. "You'll see, after today I'm gonna be making them even better than you are." 

"I'm not so good at it either." Just to make sure Liam wasn't expecting too much, Niall felt his face getting a bit hot as he thought about how many ways there were for him to mess up, god, what if the pancakes would turn out all gross?!

"Don't worry about it, anything that's not burned is good enough for me, because that's as far as my own skills go." Then he just randomly chuckled again, he seemed to be in a brilliant mood for some reason, Niall didn't feel too bad either but he also didn't have to take care of a very strange 18 year old college student since a week, how did Liam do it? How did he not hate Niall already? "Okay, what do we need? I hope we have all the ingredients, I did buy a lot of random stuff the last time I was at the grocery store, so I hope we're good."

"Um… well, we need a bowl first of all." And then Niall continued to list all the things they were gonna need, the thing about Liam going to the grocery store was also something he had found a bit strange, like… Liam hadn't had anything at home when he had first gotten here and then suddenly he had bought a lot. But that didn't have to mean anything right, maybe he had planned on buying some stuff anyway, maybe he had just run out or something, Niall felt quite arrogant for thinking that it had something to do with himself. 

Funny thing was, Liam really looked like he had a lot of muscles and is if he was rather tough and all, like his job would suggest, but when it came to simple things like pancake making, he seemed to fail dramatically. A few times, Niall actually had to bite the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't laugh at how bad the oder man was at following Niall's instructions, with a really concentrated face too, as if he was seriously trying his best here. 

"Stop giggling, Ni." Every time he used that nickname he had come up with himself, Niall's tummy felt like he had missed a step while walking down a staircase, it wasn't bad or anything, but no one had ever bothered enough to call him anything else but simply by his name.

"I'm not giggling." He tried to defend himself, not being able to hide that small smile as he watched Liam stirring in the pan, not realizing the brunette man looking over in exactly that second to see his face.

"You sure are." But when their eyes met for a moment, Liam didn't seem mad in any way, in fact he was smirking, even wider when Niall felt heat rushing into his face, then even more when Liam did the most unexpected thing ever, lightly poking him into his ribs, as if it was nothing, as if he did that every day. And to top it off, he laughed as Niall let out an involuntary squeal, his cheeks on fire. "It's quite amazing how easily you're blushing."

"Stop, I'm not…" Of course he was, pretty badly too and it was embarrassing as hell, Niall tried to hide it by rubbing his cheek a little bit, very well aware of Liam's stare and his soft smile while he himself decided to watch the pancakes instead, just to make sure they wouldn't burn of course. "You gotta turn it around now or it'll turn black."

"Alright." Chuckling, Liam did as he had been told, leaving the younger boy only a minute or so of cooling down, already thinking they were gonna drop the topic now when Liam suddenly spoke again, his voice not as mocking as Niall would have thought. Actually, he sounded quite serious about it. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it, you know, I think it's cute."

Had Liam just called him _cute_?! Honestly, Niall's vision suddenly felt a little bit blurred, he actually had to grab the counter as those words sunk in, there was no way he was gonna look at Liam again, no fucking way. "I-I…. "

"That was a complement." He simply clarified, destroying Niall's theory that he had just been saying it because he saw Niall as a little child, maybe he did, a lot of things Liam was doing would suggest that, but the blonde boy wasn't gonna give up hope that maybe it was different, that maybe Liam saw a little bit of a friend in him too. At least for the time they were still gonna be here together. "Are they done yet?"

"Wha- I… I t-think so y-yeah…" God, now the stuttering was starting again, but Niall simply couldn't help himself, his hands felt a little bit shaky too as he desperately tried to keep it together and not be hyper aware of how he could smell Liam's aftershave every time the older man moved the tiniest bit. 

"Okay, I'm gonna try not to drop that one." Because he had already dropped two before that, Niall stepped back a little bit, just in case, desperately trying not to overplay the conversation they had just had over and over again in his head as he watched Liam carefully putting a pancake on the plate, with success this time. Was it stupid Niall wanted to congratulate him for that just to see his smile? "That was a lot harder than it looked like to be honest. But you'll see, next time I won't even need your instructions anymore."

Not daring to say anything in fear his voice might break away, Niall managed something like a very creepy smile, actually feeling a bit short of breath when he saw Liam's happy face, the crinkles by his eyes, his still kinda sleepy eyes, the stubble he hadn't shaved. God, why did Niall like him so much, it wasn't fair. 

As they started putting everything on the table, Liam would just babble on about stuff while Niall tried his best to give coherent answers, still busy trying to find out what exactly Liam had meant when he had used the word 'cute' in combination with Niall and at the same time trying to lock it into the very darkest corner of his mind. There was no need to think about it, the best Liam would ever see in him was a child he liked a bit maybe and didn't hate too extremely much. No one had ever seen more in Niall anyways.

"So… what should we do today?" Liam started once they had sat down and tried the pancakes, which had turned out half as bad as Liam had feared before, making Niall smile dumbly because of how proud he had sounded. He really should not have thought about this man in any of the ways he did.

"Um… I don't know. Whatever… whatever you usually do." Shrugging a bit, Niall quickly took a sip from his coffee, he really didn't wanna mess up Liam's usual weekend routine, if necessary, he was just gonna stay in the guest room and keep quiet even if he knew that Liam would have never told him to do that, he was just too nice.

"Well, I don't really do a lot on weekends because I'm too tired, but I do feel rather awake today actually. But we can still stay here and like… I don't know, watch a movie or whatever, play Fifa." Trying to imaging a cop playing Fifa almost made Niall laugh, but he managed to swallow before unwillingly letting a chuckle escape, of course not being able to hide it from Liam, they were sitting opposite each other after all. "What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothing…I just… I didn't think you'd be playing that." Well, looking at Liam being dressed like this and right after getting out of bed made it a lot more likely, but Niall knew the man's other side as well so it was still a little bit amusing to him.

"I'm 25, not an old man, Niall." Laughing softly, he sent chills down Niall's spine before finishing his pancake, smiling that warm smile he sometimes had on his lips once he had swallowed. "I'm actually quite good, better than Harry and Zayn anyways."

"Harry and Zayn…?" Niall asked carefully, he was pretty sure he had heard those names out of Liam's mouth before, he just couldn't remember in what context. Well, they were probably his friends, now he felt a little bit dumb for having asked so bluntly.

"Oh, sorry. Harry's my partner and my best friend and his boyfriend Louis is Zayn's partner, they're all my co workers. Actually… they were the three that were there when… you know." Making some gesture with his hand, Niall felt his stomach drop a little bit, trying to keep his face straight though when he nodded because Liam's expression had gotten a little bit worried. 

"Right, I… I'm not sure if I remember their faces." Niall had only been clutching onto Liam after all, he had never really made an effort to look around, hell, he hadn't even known how to think properly. "Isn't it weird… to work with your best friends?"

"No, not at all." Seemingly relieved over the change of topic, Liam leaned back a bit, running his fingers through his hair, actually forcing Niall to look down if he didn't want to be caught blushing yet again. Did he know how fucking attractive he was? "We all met there and started at the same time, except for Louis, but he needed a new partner, which was Harry at first, but… you can imagine why that quickly changed once… well, the obvious. So that's how we all kinda got to know each other, also a little bit because everyone knew Harry and Louis after the bathroom incident, but yeah…"

"Is… is the bathroom incident what I think it is?" Well, Niall certainly didn't need a detailed description of that, he still found it funny though, actually, he was thrilled that Liam was willing to tell him so much, as if they were just friends and all, it was an amazing feeling.

"Yep. They weren't even ashamed or anything, but when are they ever. You gotta meet them sometime, not at the police station of course but when none of us have to work, maybe you'd be able to beat Louis at Fifa and get him off his high horse." Snorting a bit, Liam was very obviously hurt in his pride about the fact that he was worse than his friend at some video game, it almost made Niall laugh. Almost, if there hadn't been the voice in the back of his head telling him that none of this was ever gonna happen because, well… this would probably be his first and last weekend at Liam's place.

Still, of course he wasn't gonna bring that up, the chances of his voice sounding way too sad were too high, he couldn't risk that. "I'm not that good at it either, I… I never really played against anyone else either…"

"Never?" Liam sounded quite shocked, but not in a bad way, not as if he was secretly thinking that Niall was a loser for not having any friends, in fact, there was already a smile forming on his face. "Well, we're gonna change that today."

Niall couldn't really argue with that, especially not when the brunette man was looking at him like that across the table, immediately washing his brain clear of anything that wasn't his face or his voice. It was amazing really, nothing helped Niall as much to forget as Liam did by simply being there, therapy was never gonna be as healing as hearing Liam laugh or holding his hand before falling asleep. The only sad thing was, Niall would never be able to tell him that he was the only reason why he had somewhat gotten better during the past week.

Cleaning the dishes with Liam wasn't too bad either, Niall found that really anything he was doing with him was better than as if he would've done it by himself, it was so nice to have someone else there and to talk to them, especially when they were as nice and funny as Liam. Was this how other people felt like all the time when they had tons of friends?

"Alright, here's your controller, I'll quickly go looking for the remote." They hadn't even changed their clothes before Liam had almost dragged Niall into the living room to play a round of Fifa, to warm up he had called it, his smile so big that Niall hadn't been able to protest. Not that he had planned on doing that.

"It's next to the TV, I… I put it there." Since Liam was always gone pretty long when he was at work, Niall would just always watch TV, even if he wasn't looking at the screen, it was just to not having to sit in a quiet apartment. Now though, he did blush slightly because of that, feeling a bit weird for knowing where Liam's stuff was better than the older man. 

"Oh, right, thanks." Liam on the other hand didn't seem to spend one thought on it, he just simply walked over, giving Niall a _very_ good sight at his boxer shorts when he leaned down, causing his sweatpants to slip down even further. Okay, well… they were just two guys, nothing Niall had to blush about or anything, like sure, he did find a lot of guys attractive, but… this was just too inappropriate to even consider. Besides, he had never been closer to anyone than giving them a simple hug so there was that. "Alright, once I've beaten you, we can watch a movie if you want."

"Wha- who says you're gonna beat me?" Niall couldn't help but ask a bit sarcastically once Liam had sat down on the couch next to him, immediately laughing even though the blonde boy felt slightly bad for being so rude.

"I was just joking, Ni, we'll see how it ends. But you can still think about a movie you like though, I'm up for anything really, just please nothing too much horror-ish." That was kinda surprising for Niall to hear, he threw a look over at Liam's profile to see whether he had been joking or not, but he seemed to be quite serious while searching the right channel on the TV.

"I… I don't really like horror movies either, don't worry. Just… why don't you like them?" It was kinda obvious with Niall, he had never liked these kinda movies, mostly because they would leave him without any sleep for a whole week and let him flinch whenever he heard as much as a cat meowing outside his window. But Liam worked for the police, he couldn't be scared, could he?

"I'm seeing a lot of things at work, I don't really wanna see them once I get home, you know? I mean, I've never been involved in any _really_ bad cases you would see in a movie, but… I did see some people die. And it's hard to get rid of these pictures sometimes, you don't really want to watch anything that could bring back these memories." Oh, now Niall felt like a complete idiot, he hadn't meant to remind Liam of any of the bad cases he had had.

"I understand, I… I'm sorry for asking, I didn't mean to remind you of that…" Quickly looking down, Niall flinched a bit when he felt a hand ruffling his hair, not at all having expected Liam to let out a short laugh now, not after he had almost sounded sad while explaining.

"Don't worry about it, Ni, I'm fine. Haven't had a case like this in a year so it's all good. Besides, I really don't think we need a movie to drag us down, right?" Very true, Niall probably wouldn't have survived a horror movie anyways, he just nodded though because his whole head was tingly now from Liam's touch, even if it had only lasted for half a second and he hadn't really done much either, but Niall couldn't really turn any of the reactions off that his body forced him to have. "You ready? I'm warning you, I've got a lot of practice, I'd hate to make you cry."

"I… I think I can hold my tears back." Playing along with Liam's jokes was hard with a tight throat and a lot of inappropriate thoughts about the brunette man, but Niall tried his best, being rewarded with yet another one of his favorite laughs.

"Well, there are some tissues over there if you need them." Liam joked, chuckling before turning the game on, the smile still remaining on his lips when Niall briefly checked, getting a bit stuck staring at the man's profile, taking advantage in the fact that they weren't looking at each other. 

How was he ever gonna forget Liam once he had to go back to his own life? And even worse, how'd he forget all these things the brunette man made him feel on a daily basis?

 

—————

 

It turned out to be a bit of a longer game than planned, Liam did win the first time however his smile quickly vanished the second time when Niall won even higher, demanding a rematch and so on. 

They only ended it when two hours had passed and they had lost count, honestly though, Niall hadn't even noticed any time passing by at all, it was too funny to play with Liam, he was really ambitious when it came to Fifa, including a lot of cursing and comments that made Niall laugh harder than he would have thought was possible. Now he really did know what he had been missing always playing by himself.

Since they somehow still were in their pajamas, Niall almost wanted to get up and change, just because that would seem the normal thing to do, but he was stopped rather quickly with a way too warm hand around his wrist, keeping him in his seat and cutting him off in the middle of his sentence. "I'll just quickly change my-"

"No, stay here, c'mon, it's saturday and we're not going anywhere, you might as well wear sweatpants." There was nothing to argue with that logic to be honest, even if it wasn't what really kept Niall on the couch, it was more the tight grip around his wrist that only disappeared after a few more seconds. "Don't make me feel bad for not changing as well."

"I… alright, I won't." Niall agreed after a moment of hesitation, trying not to touch his skin too obviously where Liam had held him, was it normal that it was burning like it had been lit on fire, even more, was it weird that he liked the feeling? It wasn't as good as holding hands, but it came very close. 

"Great. Now, which movie do you wanna watch? Any preferences?" Liam's smile was so mind blowing honestly, it should have been illegal for him to look like he did or make Niall feel so many things at once with just a simple touch.

"Not really, I… whatever you wanna watch." Mostly, Niall didn't wanna embarrass himself with whatever he'd suggest, it was true that sometimes he watched movies that maybe weren't exactly for his age group, which would make them even further away from Liam's, so he just shrugged, finally ready to let go of his wrist. He really needed to get it together.

"Hmmm… how about we watch… " Then he hesitated, very obviously thinking while looking through the movies, a slightly concentrated expression on his face that Niall loved to see on him because it meant he could stare at him all he pleased without getting caught. "Finding Nemo."

"What?" Maybe that had came out a bit rude, but Niall's mouth had seriously dropped open, for a second he thought Liam was making fun of him in some way by suggesting a kid's movie, but as the older man turned his head with a confused expression, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

"Don't you like that movie? We can watch something else." He offered, clearly not knowing what to make out of Niall's face because he studied it clearly while the blonde boy quickly tried to calm down, hating himself for not being able to properly hide his emotions.

"I… no, I do, I just… I didn't think you, um… you'd wanna watch that." The amount or relief it brought to Niall was almost unbelievable, he could handle Finding Nemo for sure, he had almost been scared they'd watch some movie that would leave him terrified in some way. Now that would definitely not be the case, also, it was kinda nice to know that Liam also watched these kinda movies, and enjoyed them, it made him even more likable than he had already been, if that was any possible.

"Oh, I love that movie, you'd be surprised by what else I like." Chuckling, the crinkles by his eyes were back as he smiled before turning his attention back to the TV while Niall pulled his legs on the couch, having to use almost his whole strength to not keep staring at Liam. Just play it cool. "I really like anything except for horror movies, or the really psycho ones, which makes it hard to watch movies with Harry and Louis, so I'm glad you're here because you won't judge me for my taste."

"Of c-course not…" Hell, Niall actually felt an urge to wrap his arms around Liam's neck and tell him how fucking much he liked him and how safe he felt with him, suddenly slightly overwhelmed with how badly he really wished he could've stayed with him forever. "I … I like these kinda movies too…"

"Yeah, I figured." Niall was a lot younger so of course Liam had figured that out, plus he probably behaved like a baby most of the time so it wasn't too surprising, Niall really was trying to be seen as more grown up, but it was somehow harder than he had thought. "You know, we can also order something to eat later maybe, I think I've had enough kitchen adventures today."

"Okay… if you want to." Secretly, Niall was hoping for pizza, which he didn't say of course, instead watching Liam setting up the movie, a little disappointed when the older men got up right when it started, quickly making up for it though when he came back with a few more pillows and also a blanket, making all of this even better than it had already been. This was like a sleepover or something, kinda different, but Niall was excited anyways because he had never experienced any of that. 

"Here you go, it'll be more comfortable like this, and in case you get cold, you know. I noticed you get cold quite quickly, that's why." Had he really noticed that?! Niall blushed as he took the blanket and a pillow, but he also felt a slight pinch as Liam fell back onto the couch next to him, the fact that he older man had payed that much attention to something simple like that had Niall feeling a lot warmer. Maybe he wouldn't need the blanket after all. 

Since of course Niall usually watched movies by himself, he wasn't really used to anybody making comments about it or randomly speaking up about other stuff, maybe he should have gotten annoyed but he just couldn't, not when it was Liam. He would crack a few jokes, point some stuff out Niall hadn't even noticed himself and if he didn't speak, he would laugh about the silliest things, making it impossible not to join. So short, Niall never wanted to watch a movie by himself ever again after only 30 minutes. 

He did need the blanket after all, even if he was a bit shy to do so, Liam just threw a warm smile at him, nothing else, his arm remaining over the back of the couch behind Niall, not touching him but there wasn't much distance either. It was embarrassing how baldy the blonde boy was hoping it'd drop around his shoulders at some point.

But it didn't.

They stayed like this until the movie was over and Liam had to yawn, not turning the credits off just yet as he adjusted himself against the pillows, automatically slipping a little closer to Niall. "Haven't seen that movie in ages, thanks for watching it with me."

"Oh… you're welcome." It kinda hadn't been Niall's idea, but he still returned the smile, his tummy feeling quite warm from this, the closeness and all, had he been braver, he might have asked Liam to share the blanket. "I haven't seen it in a really long time either and… watching it with you is way more fun than alone."

"You think so? Thanks, Ni." There it was again, the incredible happy face, this time even better because Niall was the one who had caused it. "I'm glad you're saying that because no one else thinks that."

"But it's true." Yeah, he was a little bit embarrassed, but making Liam smile and making him happy was way worth it, plus Niall was speaking the truth after all, shuddering a bit when Liam suddenly reached out with one hand after his eyes had gotten stuck on something, very unexpectedly moving a piece of hair out of the blonde boy's forehead.

"Thanks… that's starting to look a lot better, huh?" His thumb was hovering over Niall's wound, almost touching it but not really, yet still, he was touching part of Niall's face and it almost caused the blonde boy's breath to hitch, having Liam that close, his eyes focused on Niall's forehead. "Does it still bother you?"

"Um… n-no… only w-when it g-gets wet…" A little bit, Niall shouldn't have said that, he didn't wanna be a whiny baby even if Liam nodded sympathetically, letting go of him a few seconds later to look into Niall's eyes instead, his expression still kinda serious. 

"I'm sure it's gonna stop hurting altogether soon, it wasn't too deep, it just looked like it because you bleed a lot more when your head gets injured. But I'm pretty sure it won't leave a scar." Smiling a bit, Liam must have seen Niall's face turning red as he nodded, looking down into his lap instead, his fingers having twisted into the blanket. "You know… there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh… w-what?" That was never a good start, Niall's heart was speeding up dramatically already, it was embarrassing really, but at least Liam couldn't see that other than his redness and his lip biting.

"Well, before that, I was actually gonna ask you how you're doing, like… in general, I mean? And whether therapy is helping at all or not, you know you don't have to go anymore if it doesn't, I just feel like you never look very happy walking in or out of there, that's why. Well… and because of your nightmares, I know you probably still have them even if I wait for you to fall asleep, and last night you didn't, so… I just wanted to know if you feel somewhat alright." Oh. That were a lot of questions at once and not the easiest either.

At least this wasn't as bad as Niall had feared, he still was nervous answering them though, especially while being so close to Liam and feeling his stare. Also, it was hard because Niall wasn't sure if he should tell Liam the whole truth, he didn't wanna lie, but he also didn't really know whether it'd be wise to let him in on all these things. "I… I feel better now than a few days ago, but… yeah, I don't know so much about therapy, I… it's not so bad, but not so great either, like… I don't think I need it anymore. And the nightmares… I don't know about those, I also sometimes had them before any of this happened, but… never so real and all, I don't know how to stop them."

There was some silence, Niall was torturing the skin next to his thumb now, not being able to help himself but feeling slightly guilty, after all he _did_ know how to stop the nightmares. Being with Liam was the solution, but he couldn't say that, could he? "Okay… you want me to tell them to cancel therapy?"

"Yeah, I… I don't need it anymore, thank you…" Going there was rather tiring actually, the woman always said the same stuff over again and Niall could tell she didn't take it very seriously either, probably because she got paid a lot less than she did for private clients.

"Alright. And about the nightmares… it does stop them though if you're not alone, right? If I'm there you don't have any? Like last night for example?" It wasn't too surprising that Liam was asking that, Niall refused to look up though, dead on staring into his lap as he nodded slowly, not knowing whether his voice was strong enough to speak. "I'm asking, because… you know how I talked to my boss yesterday, or actually tonight? Well, he… he was talking about how he only wanted you to stay with me until today, that I should bring you home tomorrow or so."

"Oh… okay, yeah, I…" Shit, now there were stupid tears welling up in his eyes, he had known that this was gonna happen very soon, just… well, this was coming a bit out of nowhere and they had just had so much fun together and… Niall just wasn't ready to leave Liam, hell, he didn't even have a picture of him, as dumb as that sounded. "I-I… you c-can bring me home w-whenever, uh… whenever y-you want t-to…"

Liam didn't answer immediately for some reason, making it even harder for Niall to fight back these tears and the fear building up in him about having to be alone again and not having anybody around him who would protect him and anyways… how was he gonna survive all by himself? "Actually, I… I've been thinking about this… quite often and well, I… I've been meaning to ask you, if you, you know, I… I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a bit longer."

That certainly was not what Niall had been expecting in any way at all, in fact, he didn't even realize what Liam had just said, what he had just _offered_ , never in a million years would have Niall ever thought that the older man was gonna ask that, but when Niall's head snapped up and he met those soft, brown eyes, his heart almost stopped at seeing how fucking serious Liam had been. "I-I… what?"

Sighing, Liam moved a bit, never looking away from Niall though, a small smile playing around his lips all of a sudden. "Do you wanna stay? For a while longer, or… a little longer, however long you need? I just… I won't be able to bring you to college or pick you up anymore, except for a few times maybe, but… well, to be honest, I don't feel very good about letting you go on your own. I'm sorry if this sounds weird, like, I know you're 18, I know you have been living alone for quite some time, but… you still have these nightmares and if I can help you to at least get rid of them, I'd love to do that."

"You… you want me to s-stay?" Was this really happening or was this just a dream, Niall's eyes went wide as he just stared at Liam, waiting for the second he'd burst out laughing or something, but no, he remained like this, he was being bloody serious! "But w-why, I… you won't g-get paid or anything, I-I…"

"Look, Ni… I'll be honest with you, okay? They wanted you to stay with me because you are the only witness and because I'm specialized in consulting the victims and all that. But now… now they wanna drop the case. Well, he didn't say drop, but I know how things work there, they will stop looking for the guy, which also means…" Then he randomly broke off, rather intensely staring into Niall's face, who had felt all color draining from him, a shiver going through his body as Liam's words sunk in, for a moment almost forgetting what the brunette man had said before.

"He… he could f-find me a-and k-kill me, I-"

"No, no, hey." Covering Niall's hand with his out of nowhere, slightly leaning forward, Liam managed to almost give the boy a heart attack, yet he still couldn't look away, hell, he had no idea how to feel or what to think. "He won't, okay? All I was saying was that they were gonna drop the case and not invest anything anymore, which means they want me to bring you home. But I know you're not 100% fine and … I care about you, I really do. And maybe I shouldn't because it's unprofessional, but it's too late now, I like you, Niall, really, I want you to be aright and I want you to stay here with me."

"B-But, I… I c-cant , I…" Yeah, why couldn't he? Niall had no idea, this was all going so quickly, on one hand he was terrified of this guy now that had been holding a gun to his head, but on the other, Liam had just been holding his hand while telling Niall that he liked and care about him and that he wanted him to stay. If that weren't the bloody best news ever, yet all Niall could do was stare, not even able to return the squeeze of Liam's warm fingers.

"Why not? I want you to, it's no bother for me at all, actually, I'd feel a lot better to have you safe with me. You shouldn't have to be alone, especially not after something like this happened and in all honesty… I like having some company around." Then he shrugged, looking away for a second, almost as if he was embarrassed or something, like, not that Niall would have really noticed anyways, he couldn't believe this was happening. "So what do you say? We can go grab some more of your stuff too if you want."

"I…" Niall wanted to say yes a million times, he didn't know what was holding him back, he trusted Liam, had from beginning, which was rare for him because he barely trusted people that quickly, but Liam was different. The way he was looking at him now, with these eyes and that soft face, his gentle grip around Niall's hand in his lap… it seemed to be impossible to doubt any of this man's words. "O-Okay, but… but only if you r-really don't m-mind a-and… and if you tell m-me if I get a-annoying…"

"Ni, you can't ever get annoying." His laugh was so wonderful, he seemed so happy about Niall's decision that the younger boy couldn't help but also feel a tiny bit relieved, not being able to help that smile forming on his face. "There's one condition though."

"What condition?" Hadn't Liam still had his happy mood, Niall would have gotten scared, but he barely ever had to be around the brunette man, it'd be fine, whatever it was.

"We drive to your flat and get your pan, because mine sucks for making pancakes." That had been rather unexpected, but it still made Niall chuckle, the knot in his stomach slowly disappearing, a lightness spreading in his chest that he hadn't been feeling in a way too long time. 

"It's not the pan, Liam, it's your skills." His non existent skills, but that would've been a little too mean, Niall felt like he was high now, finally able to return the squeeze of Liam's hand, only slightly disappointed when the older man pulled away with a grin out of nowhere.

"Well, since you're staying, the pancakes are gonna be your responsibility." Sounded very fair, Niall would have agreed immediately had he not been so surprised by what Liam did then, which was opening his arms, as if asking for cuddle, which was ridiculous of course, why would he- "Can I hug you?"

"I… s-sure." Only a little bit shocked yet having a feeling in his tummy that definitely were not butterflies, Niall leaned forward a bit, not really knowing what to do now, all he knew was that he was so ready for Liam to hug him that he could have bursted, as embarrassing as that sounded.

Turned out that Niall didn't have to do anything at all because Liam simply leaned forward with a grin, wrapping the blonde boy up in his arms and pressing him into his chest while they were still sitting on the couch, the embrace so tight that Niall almost felt like he was gonna suffocate. In a good way though. "I'm so happy you're staying, Niall, I really mean it, this has been bothering me for days, you have no idea."

Strangely enough, he sounded very serious about this, almost as if he had been as worried and scared about this as Niall, which was a big relief honestly, who would have ever thought that someone as amazing could care about someone like Niall?! "I… Thank you so much, really, I can't tell you how-"

"Shhh, that's another condition, you don't thank me for everything anymore, alright? I wanted to do this, I want you to stay and I'm glad if that's what you want as well and if it's gonna help you to get better." By now, Niall had gotten enough courage to wrap his arms around Liam's warm and strong body in return, burying his face in his shoulder because that was where it was being pressed anyway, quietly breathing his cologne in, immediately feeling better for some reason. There just wasn't a person on this planet better at giving cuddles than Liam. 

"Yeah… it's really gonna help me, thank- I mean, I… I feel really safe with you and… and I really like you too and you were so nice the whole time… barely anyone's ever that nice to me…" The last part came out a but too quiet, Niall felt rather dumb for having said any of this in the first place, but he somehow needed to tell Liam how much he appreciated this if he wasn't allowed to thank him. 

"You deserve it, Ni, you shouldn't have to be alone and it makes me really happy if you feel safe with me, I'm gonna protect you and it'll be fine, yeah? I promise, the nightmares will stop and everything will be okay, I'll make sure of that." No idea how he was planning on achieving that but Niall didn't care, he felt a few tears building up again from how caring Liam was, from how soft and nice his voice was, how good it felt to be held by him, his hand slowly moving up and down Niall's back, just like it had last night in the police station. 

"Thank you…" Even if he wasn't supposed to, Niall couldn't help but thank Liam once more, just so he knew, holding on even tighter after that, preferably to never let go again if any possible.

They kept hugging each other for quite a long while, it was so calming somehow, almost making Niall a little bit sleepy to be honest, Liam smelled really good to, almost familiar by now, and combining all that with the fact that Niall didn't really get hugs very often, if ever, he appreciated this even more. It's just, the fact that someone liked him enough to do that, to offer him to stay because they cared about him, that was a feeling he had never really had before but it was the best thing ever. And even better because it was _Liam_.

Still, despite all these happy feelings, there was something else bugging Niall, he really didn't want to get onto the older man's nerves, but he also didn't want to let his chance pass to ask, especially now when they were holding each other so tight and there was no chance Niall would have to look into Liam's eyes while speaking. That'd make the whole thing about 50% easier. "Liam…?"

"Yeah?" His voice was still calm, quiet, hand still rubbing circles between Niall's shoulder blades, no hint of a plan of breaking the hug anytime soon. Good.

"I… I just wanted to ask you… because you said they were gonna stop looking for this man and all and… do you think that they should keep looking?" Because if Liam thought so then Niall was pretty sure he should be slightly worried, he trusted anything the brunette man said really, so the hesitation after that wasn't very calming.

"Well… they are stopping to look for him because they don't think there's anything behind the whole thing, that he won't do it again, just a one time robbery with two people standing in the way." Well, that hadn't seemed like it to Niall, but what did he know, right? He could barely even remember any details by now because he was trying so hard to forget about it all.

"And… and you don't think that's a good idea?" Obviously he didn't, the short silence was enough to give Niall shivers, feeling Liam's arms tighten around him for a moment before they suddenly loosened to his displeasure.

"Niall… look at me." When they pulled apart, Niall was actually left feeling a bit cold, but Liam's hands slipped to his shoulders, squeezing them firmly as he stared into the younger boy's eyes, making him blush a bit despite the seriousness of the situation. "No matter what, I'm gonna protect you, okay? You don't have to be scared of that guy, he doesn't know anything about you, he can't find you and he also doesn't have a need to. Yeah, he knows that you have seen his face, but if the police stops looking for him he won't have to be scared about you recognizing him, there's no need for him to do anything to you. And if anything should ever happen then I'm gonna be right there, okay? You have my phone number and you're staying here with me, nothing can happen to you, you're a lot saver than a lot of other people who haven't even been involved, yeah? I promise, he's not gonna touch or hurt you."

"O-Okay…" There was some relief, but a little bit of the bad feeling remained in the pit of Niall's stomach as he continued looking into Liam's eyes, his breath almost hitching as the older boy leaned in all of a sudden.

Of course he didn't kiss Niall, but he did cause the boy to freeze as he suddenly pressed his lips against Niall's forehead out of nowhere, almost leaving him with his mouth standing open, a hundred goosebumps raising all over his body. Had he… just really done that? "Did you mind that I did that?"

"Um…n-no…" There wasn't anything Niall would have minded less to be honest, he was just shocked that Liam would feel the urge to kiss his forehead, or touch him or even talk to him, but he obviously really did care about him and oh god, Niall could barely breathe at the remaining feeling of Liam's soft lips against his skin. 

"Okay, good. I promise you'll be okay, everything will be fine, don't worry about it, you got me after all." Squeezing Niall's shoulders once more, Liam slowly let go of him then, a smile playing around his lips now, hopefully not because he was amused by the blonde boy's red cheeks. "So, should we order some pizza now? I'm quite hungry to be honest.

"Um… y-yeah… yeah me too, I… I like pizza." Niall blurted out with the dumbest shit ever, his head still dizzy, but Liam just chuckled anyways, ruffling his hair fondly before moving a bit to pull his cellphone out of his pocket, only briefly looking up after that to ask Niall what he wanted to have on his pizza. 

They didn't do much anymore after this, Niall found himself biting on his nails while watching Liam speaking on the phone, and then again while watching him going to the door and coming back, and during some parts of the movie they watched after that, then another one just because they could.

It was hard for the younger boy to really wrap his head around any of this, he couldn't believe that someone with a busy job, someone so nice as Liam, would just somehow end up in Niall's life and treat him better and with more care than anyone had ever done. How had he gotten so lucky?

When it got late and Niall wasn't able to hide his yaws anymore, they finally did go shower and change their clothes, afterwards though, when Niall was about to go back to his own room, because that seemed to be the appropriate thing to do, he was once more stopped by a hand wrapped around his wrist. "Come on, sleep in my bed, I kinda wanna talk about the movie we watched before."

So obviously, they didn't talk about the movie, but Niall fell asleep a few minutes later with Liam's hand rubbing his back and the older man telling him about something he couldn't follow along, but simply hearing his voice was enough to lull the blonde boy to sleep somewhere in the middle of it.

No matter how confusing this whole situation was, there was one single thing that Niall was still quite certain about, which was that he was crushing so badly on Liam that he had no idea how he'd be able to hide it.


	6. Chapter 6

Honestly, Liam felt like he had never made a better decision than offering Niall to stay with him.

He hadn't been so sure on how to start the whole topic or how to even ask him, but when he had woken up to Niall having cuddled up to him in his sleep and then spent the whole saturday with him by basically doing nothing at all yet not even getting a tiny bit bored, he just hadn't been able to stand the thought any longer to maybe having to bring the boy home.

The second he had brought the topic up had made it quite clear that Niall had wanted to stay as well, making it pretty easy for Liam to come up with a few arguments in order to convince the younger boy, feeling an immediate relief once he had agreed.

Yeah, maybe Liam was taking it too far with all the hugs and the forehead kiss he hadn't even really thought about, but it was way too late to still feel bad or guilty for it, it was no secret that Liam cared for Niall so why attempt to pretend? There was no need to, especially not because Niall seemed to love all the affection anyways, the nightmares stopped whenever he slept in Liam's bed and he never was the first one to pull away when they hugged. 

They seemed to be the perfect match somehow, it only took about 5 more days of Niall staying with him for Liam to realize that.

"Still can't believe you let the boy move in with you and gave him a house key and all, that's kinda bizarre, isn't it? Did you tell anyone besides me and Louis?" Telling Harry hadn't been very hard, he hadn't even been surprised or anything which confused Liam for a second before he realized that yeah, doing something like this was very much like himself.

"Yeah, Zayn. Who else needs to know?" Shrugging, he changed the radio station, trying not to drive too fast just because he finally wanted to drop Harry off so that he could go home. Ever since he couldn't drive Niall anywhere anymore, he got slightly anxious about the younger boy taking the bus and being okay and all, occasionally turning into a protective mum and texting him to make sure he was fine. Occasionally basically meant every single day.

"I don't know, no one, I was just asking." Well, he certainly wouldn't tell his boss, partly because why would he care, but also, it was none of his business and he didn't need to know that his decision to send Niall with Liam had been a brilliant one. "I really wanna meet him, and Louis does too, we can come over or so."

"You're talking like I'm dating him or something." Harry had already brought that up a few times, since they spent so much time together, yet Liam had never really considered it. Partly because he was 100% sure that Niall would be more than just shy but also because he wasn't sure if it was a good idea in general, like sure, at some point but… Harry seemed a little bit too eager for it.

"I didn't use the word dating but if that's what you wanna call it, then…" Of course, Liam rolled his eyes at this, almost regretting that he had offered to drive his best friend home after work, but it was too late now.

"You know he's 7 years younger than I am, right?" Sometimes it seemed like even more, but then again, Liam didn't even mind, he knew that Niall was still very responsible and also mature for his age, it's not like they couldn't have normal conversations because they had them all the time. Mostly it felt like Liam was talking to someone his age, even if Niall didn't even come close to looking like that.

"He's still off age, it wouldn't be illegal." Thankfully, they were only 5 minutes from Harry's house, or Louis' actually, because Liam wasn't quite sure how much of these kinda talks he would be able to stand without getting loud. They weren't dating.

"Thanks, Haz, but we're not together, okay? And I'll think about letting you meet him, I'm gonna have to talk to him about it." Just thinking about that actually got Liam even more excited to get home, he always had that ever since Niall was staying with him, he hadn't even noticed how lonely it could sometimes get to live alone.

"I have a really good idea. You know how the chief said that he wants you to come back tomorrow night and we all know how anxious you get when you are not with Niall, so-"

"I don't get anx-"

"So how about… me and Louis come over while you're still there and when you leave we can stay to keep Niall company." Very bad idea on one hand, why would they wanna spend time alone with Niall, on the other hand though, Liam really had been more than angry about his boss asking him to work extra hours, but he also hadn't been able to say no really because it's not like he had enough money to throw it around or could afford getting fired, so there was that.

"I'm gonna think about it." Or actually, Liam was just gonna ask Niall whether he'd be alright with that, he kinda didn't want Louis and Harry to be alone with the blonde boy for that long, but maybe it'd help Niall, he certainly wouldn't wanna be by himself and Liam already felt guilt bubbling up when he thought about the younger boy's face once he'd tell him.

"I already know you're gonna say yes, Li, you'd go crazy leaving that kid alone at night." How come Harry knew him so well when Liam barely ever agreed to talk about Niall? It must've been because he had seen him texting Niall so often to make sure he had gotten to places in a whole piece.

"Depends on what Niall says, maybe he doesn't wanna meet you." Liam couldn't help the sarcastic answer, which was holding a slight bit of truth, only making Harry chuckle if anything as he stopped the car in front of the right house. "See you tomorrow at work."

"And maybe afterwards." The wink Harry threw at Liam before getting out was actually slightly worrying, but Liam simply chose to ignore it, not even telling his friend to say hi to Louis for him because he still hadn't forgiven the older man for making jokes about how he had asked Niall to stay. Not that it had been with a mean intention, but… anyways, no need to be overly friendly now.

When Liam finally drove home on his own, he was slightly mad for what Harry had just reminded him of, he really hated whenever he had to work until late at night, but now even more because he knew Niall would be scared on his own. And even worse, the option his friend had offered would be the best one to solve this however Liam wasn't really keen on having to take it. Who knows what Louis and Harry were gonna tell Niall, sure, they were Liam's best friends, but that didn't mean that they couldn't do or say anything he wouldn't approve of. Especially when it came to this.

Despite this problem, Liam was still way too excited to finally get home, it had been a long day, and though Niall had texted him a few times telling him that he was at home and alright, Liam wasn't only worried about him, like, he kinda also missed the younger boy. 

It was just nice to talk to him or watch movies with him and all that, Liam wasn't exactly sure what it was but he just really liked Niall, he was cute and funny and he just made it so clear to see that he wanted to be around Liam too, plus he had gotten a lot happier ever since the brunette man had asked him to stay. So really, they just got along so well it was almost scary.

Maybe that would explain why Liam needed about only half the time to get home than he had before and why he was already talking before he had fully stepped inside his apartment. "Niall, I'm back!"

The answer took a little bit, it definitely came from somewhere in the kitchen, almost getting Liam slightly disappointed that the younger boy didn't come to the door but he quickly shut that tiny voice down. "I'm in here!"

It wasn't very strange to find Niall in the kitchen actually, the boy had insisted he would get to pay half of the groceries they needed, so ever since that he also ate a lot more, or even just bought things himself, it was amazing actually, it's like they were already fully moved in together. "What're you doing?"

Once Liam had managed to get his shoes off and walk towards where the blonde boy's voice had come from, he was immediately greeted with a smile that he couldn't help but return, already having his arms held open before fully being aware of it. "Hi! I made dinner."

"Oh… really?" Now that was new, for a moment Liam almost forgot to hug back when Niall quickly came over with a slightly flushed face, wrapping his arms around the older man's middle, his cheek resting in the crook of his neck just like always. Honestly, it would've been impossible to count how many times they had hugged during the past few days, but Niall was perfect for a cuddle, he was small, affectionate and he smelled really good, even if Liam was a bit hesitant about admitting that to himself. 

"Yeah, sure. I thought you were gonna be hungry and it's late and I didn't really have anything to do, so… " His body was really warm against Liam's, almost melting into him as they kept on holding a little bit longer as the brunette boy felt himself smiling over how thoughtful Niall was. How cute was that, honestly? "If you like it I could do that more often, I mean… I've always been cooking for myself too and you don't have that much time, so… "

"I'm sure I will like it, Ni, but you don't always have to do that, only if you want to." Rubbing his back softly, Liam pulled away carefully, only slowly letting his hands slip off of the younger boy, smiling even wider once they were able to look at each other again, automatically reaching out to brush that piece of hair out of Niall's forehead. There was his favorite blush again. "You're so sweet for doing that, thank you."

"It's okay… just thought it'd make you happy." He shrugged a bit, looking away from Liam now because of his cheeks getting even redder, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt, forcing the older man to bite his lip so he wouldn't start laughing. 

"It does, thank you so much." Actually, it did much more to Liam than simply making him happy, he had no idea what he was feeling but his stomach got warm and it was definitely a good thing. He just couldn't fucking believe that Niall was like this and that he would care so much. "What'd you make?"

"Oh, just lasagna, I'm like… not _that_ good, but… " Niall returned Liam's smile a little bit before walking back over to the oven, probably to check it but it also seemed like he was still embarrassed about before, his pink cheeks definitely speaking for that. 

"I'm pretty sure you are, Niall, don't put yourself down." It partly was a joke, but then again, not really, Liam did mean it, sometimes Niall would get embarrassed and blush for things he had no reason to blush about. He was very shy yeah, but it was getting better now, he was warming up and there was seriously nothing Liam loved more than when Niall would laugh or just keep on talking without having to interrupt himself or stutter. "Do you need my help with anything? I don't wanna like… mess it up or so."

"It's already done, but… can you help me take it out, please?" As if Liam would have allowed him to do that by himself, he was way too worried about this boy all the time, just thinking about him getting burned on accident was enough to cause his stomach to flip uncomfortably.

"Sure." Not as if Liam was an expert or anything, but he'd gladly take the pain if that meant Niall would get spared.

Getting lasagna out of the oven turned out to be a lot harder than thought, Liam did get a little bit burned actually, kinda surprised to almost see Niall panicking at this and half yelling at him to put his finger under cold water as if he didn't know that himself. Still, having the younger boy care about his well being was about the cutest thing Liam had ever see and even though it was a bit inappropriate to smile in this situation, he could barely help himself.

When they finally managed to get the food on plates though without killing themselves, Liam suggested they take it to the living room and eat on the couch, not because he didn't wanna talk to Niall and rather watch TV but because it was more comfortable to eat there. Plus, whenever they were sitting at the table it always seemed like they were meters apart.

"Um, better keep the water in reach when you try it." Niall was probably hoping that it sounded like a joke, but Liam saw the nervousness written across his face, just slowly shaking his head at the boy when he nervously giggled, obviously scared when Liam was about to get something on his fork.

"Shush, Ni, I'm sure it'll be amazing." Even if it wouldn't have been then Liam would have pretended that it was anyways, they both had their plates in their laps, not too much distance between them, Niall's eyes nervously glued to Liam's face as he watched the older man putting a forkful into his mouth, chewing carefully. 

"So… what do you think?" Niall was so nervous, he was actually biting on his thumbnail while watching, not even having touched his own food yet.

Before Liam could answer, he obviously needed to swallow, almost not able to do it fast enough because of how bad he felt for Niall almost dying over there, as if this was the most important thing ever, Liam liking his cooking. "Tastes amazing, just like I predicted."

"Really? Or… or are you just saying that to make me happy?" Why was Niall so worried? It made Liam laugh softly as he stared into the boy's face, sure, he was desperate to always make him happy, but he hadn't been making any of this up, Niall really was good at cooking.

"I'd never lie to you, Ni, you know that. Besides, if I didn't like it then I probably wouldn't be eating all of it now." Because Liam was even hungrier now than he had been before, pretty sure he'd probably still be once he was done. "And you should too, before it gets cold."

"I did eat already though… a few snacks anyways." Shrugging a bit, Niall picked up his fork as well, clearly a lot happier now, giving Liam a warm feeling as he saw the small smile forming.

"Of course you did." Chuckling, Liam thought about how he had come home yesterday to Niall not wanting any dinner because he had eaten so many snacks, which was quite impressive really, the boy was so skinny and small, no one would believe the amounts of food that fit into his system.

"Hey! I'm not eating snacks that often… only a few times a day." Pretending to pout, Niall didn't even flinch or say anything though when Liam reached out to ruffle his hair fondly, probably because he was doing that quite a lot. 

"I know, it's alright, Nialler, no worries, I'm not judging you." Coming up with nicknames for the boy had become Liam's hobby, he figured it was better than calling him 'babe', which he had accidentally done a few times, very much enjoying Niall's red face afterwards. 

"I know…." The smile had gotten a little bit bigger when he looked up, finally taking a forkful of food into his mouth, barely having swallowed though before already speaking again. "How was work?"

"Long, but it was fine, nothing really happened though… well, there was this boy that stole something from a store, but he was only 9, not very exciting." Liam furrowed his eyebrows a little as he thought about that, it hadn't been that big of a deal or anything, but he didn't like kids to be involved in anything, or thinking of reasons why they might be doing bad stuff like this. Harry would have to told him to stop being so sentimental, but Liam couldn't help his emotional involvement with everything. "Anyways, how was college?"

"Good, I think." Niall shrugged a little bit, not really looking at Liam while putting more food in his mouth, shortly letting the older man hesitate.

"You think?" Maybe it had been really bad, Liam didn't want to push it but he also just didn't want to let it pass, who knows, Niall might have wanted to talk about it.

"Yeah… it gets a bit, um… lonely? Because I don't really talk to anyone so… " Oh. That was nothing new but it still always pained Liam to be reminded of it, he looked away from the blonde boy to not make him even more nervous, pretending to be concentrated on his plate as Niall took a short break. "So I always like when you come home… and we can talk and stuff."

No, this wasn't in any way good for Liam's health, his heart felt like it was actually aching now from listening to Niall's rather nervous voice. To think that he was helping the boy in more ways than in just helping him to get rid of his fears was literally amazing, he shouldn't have been so emotional for the job he had, but it wasn't something Liam could just turn off, he just wanted to squeeze Niall right now. "I like that too, you know, I… I haven't been living alone for that long, but… it's still nice again to have company. And I'm glad if it's helping you too and if you feel comfortable here, because I'm really happy I asked you to stay."

"Thanks, I… I'm really happy you did too… I don't know why…why you'd do anything for me at all, but… thank you so much." On the last part, his voice might have almost broken a little bit, Liam's throat felt a bit tight as well, but he pretended not to notice any of that, still not looking up, for Niall's sake.

"I do it because I like you and because I care, I probably shouldn't, but… I can't help it. But as of now, I'd even let you stay if nothing at all had happened, just so you know." It was true, Niall felt like a younger friend to Liam by now who he would have allowed to stay for as long as he wanted to, maybe he shouldn't have said that to Niall, but then again, why not, it'd surely make him feel better.

"… really?" Now their eyes did meet as they both looked up at the same time, the younger boy's expression quite surprised, shocked almost, as if he couldn't believe it, which was probably quite accurate, he always seemed to assume that Liam hated him or something. 

"Of course. We're kinda like… friends now, right? That's at least how I see it, I don't know if you feel the same." The bright blush in Niall's face told Liam that he definitely did, a small smile forming on his lips when the younger boy just nodded, looking down again, obviously too embarrassed to even talk. Why was he so bloody cute? "Let's eat, okay? I feel like starving."

"O-Okay…" Obviously, he was still too shy to properly speak however his mood seemed to have been lifted slightly, hopefully because of what Liam had said about them being friends.

Niall needed a few minutes to cool down and be able to properly look at Liam again, and laugh and talk, but it got a lot better when the older man just started talking about random things again, telling Niall some stories about the dog he had had as a child, just because he could. 

By the time they were finished and had the telly on, Liam suddenly remembered that he still needed to talk to Niall about tomorrow while having gone to the bathroom for a second. When he came back though, he wasn't so sure anymore whether that'd be a good idea. "Hey… are you asleep?"

"No… 'm just tired…" Niall had sprawled himself out over the whole couch on his stomach, causing Liam to chuckle softly because the boy would have never done that a week ago, it was so nice to see him that comfortable. "Wait… I'll move… "

"No, stay, wait." Really, Liam didn't want to disturb him, if he slept in then that was alright, he would just carry him to bed, plus, he had a really good idea on how to solve the space problem they were facing now. "Sit up for a second, okay?"

"What are you doing?" Confused and sleepy Niall was even cuter than normal Niall, Liam couldn't help but smile like an idiot the whole time as he sat down in the empty seat once Niall had sat up, grabbing a pillow from the side before placing it on his lap. 

"Okay, come lie back down." Petting the pillow a bit to make it more obvious, Liam could almost hear the boy's heart beat speeding up a little but, almost causing him to chuckle.

"You mean… ?" Obviously, his thought process was a bit slower, he was still rubbing one eye, blushing a bit though when Liam nodded, very suspiciously checking the older man's face before his sleepiness probably took overhand and he just did what he had been told, lying back down with his head in Liam's lap. A lot better.

"It's fine if you sleep in, yeah?" Just to make sure, once he was about to nod off there was no stopping it anyways, Liam already knew that, plus Niall didn't seem to be uncomfortable like this either, he just turned his head so he could still see the TV, some movie on they had only been watching for half an hour. 

"I won't…" His sleepy voice said something else, having Liam chuckle lightly, he kinda liked them lying like this, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder because why not, deciding that he didn't just yet want to bring up tomorrow night, that could wait for a few minutes longer.

In the end, it took half the movie longer, somehow Liam was almost hoping that Niall would eventually fall asleep so he wouldn't have to make him sad, but the boy kept moving around the whole time, commenting what happened on the TV and eventually it ended and Liam couldn't really push it away any further. At least now he could do it while playing with Niall's soft hair, after having found out that the blonde boy didn't mind it the least bit, rather seeming to enjoy it actually. Liam would definitely have to do that more often.

"Hey, Ni… I wanted to talk to you about something." Making sure to keep the even brushes of his fingers through the blonde hair up, Liam already felt his heart dropping a little bit when Niall turned onto his back so he could look up at him with sleepy eyes, Liam's fingers only lightly resting against his arm now.

"What is it?" God, he looked seconds from passing out, but also very comfortable, Liam almost chickened out right there, but he took a quick breath instead, knowing that he had to do this now, as much as he hated it.

"Okay, so… my boss wants me to work at night tomorrow and… I will come home in between, shortly, but it might get really late, like 2 or 3 am maybe." That was already enough to cause Niall's face to fall, he was obviously trying hard to keep it straight, not being able to fully help it though. Liam just sighed, his fingers still in the boy's hair, brushing his fingers over his arm for relaxing purposes. "And well… Harry wanted to meet you, he's asked me multiple times and now that he knows about tomorrow, well… basically, he suggested he and Louis could come home with me tomorrow and meet you and then once I have to leave they can keep you company so you don't have to be alone."

"Oh…" Was all Niall made to that, he was seemingly confused, but also tired and obviously very disappointed as well, Liam even thought he was gonna have to call in and pretend to be sick or something just because he couldn't take that sad face. It was like kicking a puppy, Niall was just so sweet and innocent, how could anyone have not felt bad for hurting him like this, even if it was unintentionally? "Why… why would they wanna meet me?"

"Because I told them about you and… they're very talkative, both of them, and curious too probably because they were there, when… you know. But you can tell me if you don't want them to come, you know? It wouldn't be a problem at all. Or if you don't want them to stay once I'm gone, I just want you to be comfortable, okay? I wouldn't invite anyone over if you don't want it." Just to make sure it wasn't set in stone already, Liam worriedly watched Niall looking away from him, sucking his bottom lip in, his fingers twisting together over his chest while the older boy was still stroking his hair, not wanting to interrupt the younger boy's thought process. 

"They… they're your best friends though, right?" Nodding at the question, Liam wasn't very sure whether he wanted Niall to accept the offer or not, he didn't want the boy to be alone, but he also wasn't so sure about Louis and Harry staying over night for some reason. "Okay… I don't mind if they come over, but… but what if they hate me? I… and I don't wanna be a bother, like… they don't have to keep me company, I can, um… I can just go to sleep and… "

"Trust me, they wouldn't mind keeping you company one single bit, Ni, they'd probably enjoy it a little bit too much actually. You know, you don't have to be shy or anything around them, they wouldn't make anything awkward. And in case it would get weird, you could just always think of what I told you about the bathroom incident." The memory still gave Liam shivers, but he tried to laugh it off now for Niall, clearly being able to see the younger boy's inner conflict. There was probably nothing Niall hated more than being alone, but he also didn't feel comfortable around new people, Liam understood him too well, he really wished he wouldn't have made the blonde boy decide over this. "It's okay, Ni, whatever you decide, yeah? I'd be there when you first meet them, and if you don't feel good about them staying for longer you just let me know and I'll make sure they leave with me, alright?"

"Okay… thank you." He didn't seem too relaxed though, but there was nothing else Liam could have done, so he tried a smile, brushing his thumb over Niall's arm, fingers still threading through his hair, wishing nothing more than for the boy to be alright. 

"It's okay, Ni, I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? And you can just go to sleep when you're tired then time will pass by even faster." Hopefully he wouldn't have any nightmares with the others being there, Liam already had the worst scenarios in his head, but he was trying so hard to not let any of that show in order to keep his face soft, make sure Niall was somewhat alright, even if his face blushed unexpectedly as he looked away.

"Um, can I…. can I still sleep in your bed?" His voice had been quiet, but it was enough to cause Liam's heart to sting as he interrupted the stroking for a second, then deciding to screw everything from watching the blonde boy's sweet face for a moment, wrapping his arm around his stomach as he leaned down a bit, not at all caring anymore as he pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Of course, babe." What was the point in trying to not call him babe when it had almost slipped out so many times anyways? Sure, Niall blushed like a tomato after all of this, but Liam knew that the boy didn't mind any of this at all, he would always get a lot happier afterwards and a lot more affectionate and it was honestly the cutest thing ever. Really though, Liam thought that anything the boy did was cute so that was nothing special really. "Should we check whether there's another movie on?"

"Okay… " He still hadn't raised his voice, but Niall did return the smile a little bit now before turning onto his side again as Liam's hand left his hair to reach for the remote, not even planning on moving his arm though. Who would've known that they would ever sit here like this together, almost cuddling, but it was so nice and nothing about it felt wrong that Liam almost wished they could've met a longer time ago already. Under nicer circumstances maybe.

 

————

 

"So, Niall, what are your intentions with Liam?" That was the first thing that had Niall regretting the fact that he had told Liam it'd be fine if he left. Louis asked this, literally the second after the brunette was out of the door, maybe having hugged Niall a bit too long and too tightly, mostly because the blonde boy had been clinging to him for his dear life. But how could he have not, he didn't want to go to sleep without Liam, or be without him at night in general, the nightmares hadn't come back since he slept in the older man's bed every night. He didn't need them now, not with Harry and Louis here. 

"My… intentions?" Of course it had been supposed to be a joke, Niall had only met these two a about one and a half hours ago and they had been cracking jokes ever since. To be fair, they both were quite funny, it was obvious to see that Liam got along brilliantly with them even if Louis would tease him once a while to make everyone laugh, it was clear that all of it was harmless banter. Still, maybe Niall shouldn't have agreed to staying alone with them, he just didn't want to be left alone for anything in the world, he wanted to Liam, obviously, but if he couldn't be here, he would have to make arrangements.

And Louis and Harry were nice after all, even if some of the things they said caused Niall to blush harder than any time before. "I was joking, kiddo, don't worry. But you do have to admit that Liam looks pretty good, yeah?"

"Oh, um… s-sure." Well, this was not starting very good, they were all in the living room, the telly on luckily because otherwise Niall would have already died of embarrassment, but it seemed like he was seconds from doing that anyways. Had this just been a joke as well or had Louis already figured out his crush on Liam? Oh god… what if he'd tell him?!

"That would about be the cutest thing ever." Then he sighed after that very cryptic comment and Harry smirked at him while Niall wasn't so sure whether he even wanted to know what was going on, he was basically just trying not to make eye contact and not be too awkward. "Anyways, what'd you wanna do? We can play some of Liam's playstation games, or watch a movie, or eat… but we'd probably have to order something, unless Liam changed his grocery shopping habits from going once a month?"

"Uh… he does, um… go grocery shopping." _And I do too_ , Niall added in his head, slightly confused now, he hadn't wanted to think that Liam would have done any of that because of him, but obviously, he had, Harry's and Louis' impressed faces were enough proof. Wow, did Liam really care that much? It almost got Niall all giddy and weird to think about it, he always got like this at the tiniest hint of Liam liking him or caring about him, it's just, the older man was so amazing and sweet and nice and… yeah. Pretty much every positive trait you could have, it was all combined in Liam.

"Wow, that's something new. Maybe you're good influence on him, Niall, or he just doesn't wanna let you starve, probably both though. But seems quite like Liam actually, he's just got too good of a heart for his own good sometimes." True, Niall could definitely confirm that, maybe it came with Liam's job, but then again, it seemed like he should have been the complete opposite, to make it easier. On the other hand though, Louis and Harry also didn't exactly fit into the picture Niall had had of cops in his mind. "Shouldn't mean he shouldn't have offered you to stay, I'm glad he did to be honest."

"Oh… w-why?" Niall couldn't help but ask, it wasn't too bad talking to them really, he still acted really weird and awkward probably, but they didn't even seem to think about that, they just treated him normally, which made things a whole bunch easier.

"Because he's been living alone for a while now, I think it's good for him if he has some company. Plus, he really cares about you, so it's good for the both of you." That had actually been really nice, Niall almost managed a real smile in return to Louis, relaxing that tiny bit against the couch. "Anyways, what should we do? Any ideas, Haz?" 

They were in fact sitting way too close, but they had been acting like this ever since they had gotten here and Niall had thought his heart would have to jump out of his chest from all the nervousness despite cuddles with Liam and the older man's comforting words, so now he didn't find it weird to see them shortly kissing each other. It's not that he would have found it weird because they were two guys, it's just, Niall wasn't very used to seeing anyone being this close really and kissing in front of him, also for slight pinches of jealousy, but he managed it with just a light flush. "Think we should let Niall decide, or he might get bored with us."

"Who could ever get bored with us?" Louis joked even though Niall thought that he did have a point, they didn't seem like people you could get bored with, just like with Liam, despite the fact that they were so different. "Let's play some Fifa, I think Liam mentioned that you beat him a few times? Finally someone who is worth playing against me."

"Don't get too cocky, babe, Niall might have some tricks you don't know of." Thinking of when Liam had acted so hurt in his pride talking about Louis beating him so many times almost caused Niall to chuckle a bit now, but he didn't want to overdo it, he was pretty sure he wouldn't stand a chance against Louis and he didn't even mind.

"I highly doubt that. Sorry, kiddo." He winked at Niall, obviously not making fun of him in any way so it was cool, maybe the night wouldn't get too bad, maybe they could all stay up until Liam would come back so he could lie down with Niall because of the younger boy being such a baby. Sleeping next to Liam was so easy though, he would always rub Niall's back and talk to him in his soft, calming voice, last night even playing with his hair when Niall had fallen asleep with his head in the older boy's lap. Really though, he wouldn't have ever expected Liam to suggest that, but he had loved it of course, just as much as the forehead kisses and the way Liam had called him babe still gave him butterflies thinking about it now. 

"It's okay, I… I'm not that good." Just to make that clear, Niall did grab the controller though when Louis handed it to him with a laugh and Harry settled down more comfortably on the couch, very obviously not even feeling a bit of an urge to play with them. 

"Better not tell that to Liam though because that'd make him an even worse player." Right, Niall hadn't been thinking about that, he tried to not feel guilty now, hoping that Liam wouldn't ever get to hear any of this, even if it was stupid, but… he would never want the brunette man to be mad at him any way. "So how about… the loser has to go and make popcorn? If there's any here of course, I won't make you run to the store, no worries."

"No, there… there is popcorn." Only slightly blushing for feeling their stares on his face because he knew Liam's apartment so well, the youngest boy quickly cleared his throat, his stupid red face not helping much to get over it though. "But deal, I… the loser goes and makes some."

"Alright, then… but don't start crying on me, yeah? Liam would kill us." He probably really would, knowing that made Niall a tiny bit better, also the fact that none of the two brought up what had just happened, they just acted all normal and natural. This surely would make the night a whole lot better than just being alone, Niall would be able to deal with these few awkward moments, everything was better than sitting on the couch all alone and being paranoid and scared as shit.

Of course Louis won, every single time actually, it got to the point where Niall almost got a tiny little bit mad, not something he was used to, and it got Louis and Harry laughing really loudly when he announced that he was done. Seriously, now he totally got what Liam had meant when he had talked about it, it wasn't nice always losing to such a high score. Not fair at all.

"Aww, Niall, come on, I didn't mean to make you angry, I'm sorry." He really seemed to be serious about the apology, even if he was still smirking, of course Niall knew that it wasn't anything to be upset about, but he decided to pretend just a little bit, just for fun, it was nice to let go slightly, the only person he could do that with was Liam, so it felt good to not behave too tight up in front of these two either.

"I'm not angry, I… I'm just gonna make all the popcorn for myself now." Funny thing, Niall was actually the one who had bought it, but they had a lot of packages so it was alright, because he needed them for his movie nights with Liam as well.

"Do you want a rematch and I'll let you win this time? Or you could play with Harry to push your ego a little bit." His boyfriend rolled his eyes at Louis for that and Niall almost let his facade slip to chuckle, getting up though to show that he really did mean it.

"Very nice, Lou, thanks. You do know I don't even know any of the button combinations, right? Wouldn't be very much of an ego pusher." Right after it had left Harry's mouth, he was already shut up by Louis' arms around him, causing Niall's face to blush brightly as he quickly turned away. Making popcorn far away in the kitchen sounded like the best idea ever.

Their voices were still audible all the way there, but not very clearly anyways, Niall could block them out if he tried, he really did not want to witness any sweet talk or so. Like even if that sounded weird, but when they sat so close and cuddled and all… it made him miss Liam even more. Plus, he was also a little bit nervous about the older man being gone, he knew that his job wasn't the safest and if anything would ever happen to him then Niall had no idea how he'd be able to deal with that. But Liam was really good at it, right? Nothing was gonna happen to him, Niall just couldn't let it get to him, he just needed to survive this night and then Liam was gonna come back and they'd go back to their by now normal routine. 

Like, even if it had only been a week since Liam had asked him to stay, Niall felt like it had been much longer, he felt so comfortable here and so safe with the brunette man around and Liam had told him that he saw him as his friend too, there was literally nothing that would've made Niall happier. Well… okay, maybe there were some things, but they were impossible to ever happen anyways, no need to even think about them in the first place.

Making popcorn obviously didn't take very long, but Niall wasted time on purpose, sitting on the kitchen table while he waited, looking at his phone without expecting anything. There weren't any people who could have texted him since Liam was working obviously, but you never know, right?

After a few minutes, Niall almost fell off the table when he heard a voice, not having looked but rather being caught up deleting some pointless stuff from his phone. "You really do feel comfortable here, huh?"

"Oh… " It was Harry, who had managed to very obviously lean in the doorframe with a smirk on his face yet still scaring the crap out of Niall, his face blushing immediately when the older man's words had sunk in. "Y-Yeah, I do… "

"That's great. Liam has this thing where he can literally make anyone like him at an instant and he doesn't even know it." That was true, but Niall only managed a slow nod while staring at the tiles on the floor, slightly embarrassed now even if Harry didn't sound like he was making fun of him in any way. "Still, I feel like he really does care about yon in some other way, I've never seen him getting so close to anyone so quickly. It kinda seems like you fit in here, you know? Maybe this sounds strange, but… it's true and just like Louis, I'm glad you're keeping him company."

"But… but why though?" They were his friends and obviously cared about him, but… Liam was 25, he was a grown man, he could be on his own, right?

"Well…I-" 

Before Harry could continue though, he got cut off by Louis coming up behind him and Niall was very thankful for still being so nervous that he couldn't look up because it sounded very much like they shared a kiss. "Are you guys talking about how jealous you are of my Fifa skills? I could teach both of you, you just gotta speak up, you know."

"Sorry to disappoint, we were just talking about Liam." That sounded quite wrong, honestly, Niall really wished Harry would have used different words to say that because when he accidentally looked over, Louis had an eyebrow raised at him, one of his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

"Oh? Okay. Did Niall confess his undying love for our Payno?" Oh my god, this was going too far, now Niall's heart was seconds from jumping out of his chest, mouth dropping open a little bit, because… they couldn't find out how much he liked Liam for god's sake!

"No, I didn't." Maybe it came out too fast, since it had obviously been a joke, but Niall wasn't very sure about that actually, there might have been some truth hidden behind it, he wasn't being very subtle, was he? Especially not before when Liam had still been there. 

"It's okay if you do, Niall, he's a handsome young man." Louis was seconds from bursting out laughing, there was no need for Niall to look at him to know, his face was glowing red now as he randomly decided to check on the popcorn, just to have something to do really. Why was this happening?! "Just don't break his heart, yeah? He'd really deserve a nice relationship."

Maybe Niall wouldn't have noticed had he not turned around in time to see Harry elbowing his boyfriend in the ribs and shaking his head very slowly, getting Louis' smile a little shaky, as if what he had just said hadn't been that funny at all. Wait, what was this about? "I…. what… what do you mean?"

"Nothing, I'm just joking, Niall, don't worry about it. Is the popcorn done already?" Just like that, he switched the topic, sharing a very meaningful glance with Harry though that Niall had probably not been supposed to see before Louis came over to him with a smirk as if nothing had happened. 

Still, now this wouldn't leave the blonde boy's mind anymore for the whole time they needed to put the popcorn in a bowl and get back into the living room, even while Harry was zapping through the channels and they were both making normal conversation, Niall suddenly couldn't stop thinking about that comment anymore.

Had Liam had a bad relationship or something? Was that what he had meant when he had been talking about not having been living alone for that long? And why Harry and Louis had told Niall they were glad he was keeping Liam company? Maybe if he would have been brave enough to ask, he for once wouldn't have been left worrying.

"Hey, Niall, you okay?" Well, hiding his emotions had never been one of Niall's strengths.

"Yeah… sure." No, Niall wasn't okay at all, he was keeping his eyes glued on the telly, glad that he was sitting so far away from the others somehow, even if that of course hadn't kept them from noticing his mood change. Was it dumb he was slightly jealous now? Even though Liam clearly wasn't in a relationship anymore?

"Are you missing Liam? I'm sure he'll be back soon, the chief really likes him, he won't keep him for too long, you'll see." Yeah, just for once, that wasn't Niall's main problem, but he nodded anyways, just to make it seem like it was. God, why did he have to be like this, this was none of his business anyways.

"And if you're worried about him, I can promise you nothing is gonna happen to him, he's just driving around with one of the new guys, nothing exciting will happen." Now that Harry mentioned it, Niall started to worry even more, trying to suppress it though because there was nothing he could have done anyways, god, he just wanted Liam to come back to cuddle with him but at the same time he also wanted to ask Louis and Harry about before.

"I know, I… I know he'll be fine, I just… " Just for once, Niall could just open his damn mouth and ask, right? What could happen anyways, nothing at all, but he still kept looking into his lap, twisting his fingers together nervously as he bit down onto his bottom lip, the two man's stares almost burning holes into his face. "I was just, uh… wondering what… what you mean before, when… you know, when you talked about Liam and um… relationships."

There was nothing but silence following to that, almost getting Niall scared that he had pushed too far, like he knew he should have asked Liam that himself if anyone, but what if it'd hurt him to talk about it? Niall would never want him hurt, he was so damn curious and… and he cared about the brunette, truly, if he had had a bad past relationship then that'd be the saddest thing ever because Liam was literally the sweetest, most caring guy in the world, he only deserved the very best.

To Niall's surprise, Louis actually sighed before grabbing the remote and turning the sound down a little bit, the blonde boy looked over, suddenly slightly scared when he saw both of their faces. Maybe he shouldn't have asked. "Look, I… I'm not sure if Liam would want us to tell you this… not because of anything personal, just because he doesn't like talking about it in general, to anyone, but… I don't know, I also don't know if it'd be a good idea if you ask him about it yourself."

"W-What happened?" Okay, now Niall definitely wanted to know, even if he was already thinking of the worst, for once not being able to take his eyes off of the other two, almost biting his lip bleeding by now. Oh god, hopefully it wasn't anything too bad. 

"Well…" It was Harry this time who answered, sharing a look with his boyfriend first before almost leaning back in defeat, looking right at Niall though when he talked, almost forcing the youngest boy to keep staring at him as well, barely having any time to get embarrassed now. "He's been in a relationship for quite a long time, about since a year before we met until a year ago or so. I… well, they had plans and all, but… Liam kept most of it private, we only met her a few times actually, maybe because he likes to keep his life a secret sometimes, but who knows. Anyways, she um… she died, in a car accident and… well, you can imagine."

_Oh_. That was not at all what Niall had expected, his jaw literally dropped at this as he just kept on staring, not wanting this to be true, because… how horrible was that?! How could Liam be so sweet and funny when he had been through something so horrible?! They had been together for _years_!

"To be fair though… we don't know how happy they have been with each other, like… I don't wanna make any wrong assumptions, but sometimes, you know… sometimes you just notice stuff? Anyways… when it happened, like… Liam was convinced that… that it was murder, that someone had manipulated the car in some way, but they never found anything that would have suggested that. That's why he didn't get your case, because the chief didn't want to see some deeper meaning behind it, just like with Liam's girlfriend." This was just getting worse and worse!

"So… so is there… some deeper meaning?" Niall's heart was bumping so fast now, he almost missed the look Harry and Louis shared, it was only brief before Harry was already shaking his head, as if to calm him down immediately.

"Don't worry about it, yeah? It's been investigated, plus you're here with Liam, nothing can happen to you, if the guy would try again he certainly wouldn't choose you again, you'll be fine, Niall." Well, now that Niall knew about Liam's… ex girlfriend though, he wasn't so sure anymore which one was worse, he felt so bad for him, but also… he was so stupidly jealous all of a sudden, like… maybe they had wanted to get married? Have kids? If she hadn't died, she would have still been here, Niall would have never gotten to Liam like this and god… he felt so fucking bad for even thinking about any of this.

"How… how can he be so… so funny and sweet and all when…" Not even getting embarrassed about it, Niall just genuinely wanted an answer now, he felt like crap to be honest, for various reasons, regretting having asked more than anything.

"Like I said… we don't know how perfect or broken their relationship really was, I… there's some more personal stuff to it that I'm not so sure about either, I just… it'd feel wrong to talk about it when we don't even know the whole thing, you know? Maybe… maybe you can ask him about it yourself, if… if the timing is right and all, just… don't catch him off guard or so, he doesn't like speaking about it, never has. Understandably." Yeah, Louis was right, this was more than understandable, Niall was pretty sure he'd never get the courage to actually ask Liam any of that, also because he didn't want to hurt him. Hell, who would have thought the night would come to this?! "Anyways, I… I don't really feel comfortable talking about this, I just… like, it's not our story to tell, just thought it's better if you're prepared if you had planned on asking Liam yourself."

"Yeah, I… I'm sorry for asking… " He truly was, Niall was biting on his thumbnail again, pulling his legs up on the couch now while dead on staring down at the carpet, not at all in the mood anymore for anything, especially not for what Harry suggested after a few seconds of heavy silence.

"Should we like… look for a good movie or so?" Of course Louis immediately agreed, they were desperate to change the topic and all, but now Niall had an even harder time to free his mind from all of this or concentrate on a movie or a conversation.

Damn it, he just wanted Liam to come back now and cuddle with him and never ever think about what he had just heard again, yeah, he felt bad for the brunette man, so much it almost hurt Niall himself, but he also had this nagging jealousy inside of him now that hadn't been there before and that feeling was maybe even more inappropriate than his whole crush on Liam itself.


	7. Chapter 7

It was probably one of the longest nights of Liam's life, even if he came home at around 3 am, he was more than just exhausted, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep the whole next day. Which he couldn't because he would still have to work there as well, but at least he'd be able to lie down for a few hours, with Niall.

Liam had been missing the boy the whole time, it had been more than just hard to try and forget about him while being in the car for a few hours, but he hadn't had much of a choice anyways. At least nothing bad or dangerous had happened, it had just been bloody exhausting.

When Niall had met Harry and Louis before the brunette man had left, Liam hadn't been too sure about this anymore, however Niall had told him in private that it'd be fine if they stayed, obviously only because he hadn't wanted to be alone for anything in the world. To be quite honest, Liam had been a bit relieved about that decision, even if he had felt more than just guilty for leaving Niall, making sure to squeeze him extra hard by the door.

Hopefully Niall had gone to bed already, Liam just wished that he had been alright and that his best friends hadn't told him too much crap, or even worse, scared him or anything, like, you never knew with these two. 

Unlocking his front door, Liam tried to be extra quiet, just in case, not wanting to wake or scare anyone, which also was why he didn't say anything once inside, already seeing the light from the living room though. So either they had all fallen asleep or someone was still awake, hopefully not Niall though, the boy needed his sleep.

The TV was very quiet, as were the voices coming from the other room, so Liam still had no idea who it was before quietly entering, his eyes almost immediately getting stuck on Niall, the only one asleep, all curled up at the end of the couch with a blanket covering him. Thank god.

"Hey… " Harry and Louis looked pretty close to passing out as well, they were sitting quite close to each other at the other end of the couch and Liam could only guess that it had been the blonde boy who had decided to keep this much distance, almost causing Liam to smirk as he thought about it. Which would've been stupid, no need to feel proud about being the one Niall wanted to be the closest to.

"Hey, you okay?" Louis smiled a bit when Liam stopped shortly, just nodding, having a kind of hard time to tear his eyes away from Niall, he was just so glad that the boy was asleep and fine. His stare of course not going by unnoticed, not that he had been trying to hide it anyways. "He slept in a while ago, probably hours already, he said he wanted to stay awake until you come back, but yeah… he was really tired. But he tried, just so you know."

Of course, that sounded a lot like Niall, Liam managed something like a smile, suppressing a yawn as he slowly approached the blonde boy, trying really hard not to coo over how cute he looked like this. Probably wouldn't have been a very good idea with the other two right next to them. "How was it? Did anything happen?"

"It was fine, what should have happened?" Well, Liam could think of a numerous things, not really wanting to say any of them out loud though, just leaning down a bit once he was right in front of Niall, trying his very hardest to not do anything dumb and kiss his forehead or something. "Anyways, it all went fine. He's really cute, I like him."

"Yeah, me too." Harry threw in, not very surprising at all to be honest, how could anyone have not loved Niall, seriously. "Not so sure if he had that much fun with us though, I think he was missing you a lot. Also, I'm quite impressed by the fact that you actually stocked up your fridge for him, what an improvement."

"Thank you so much." Rolling his eyes sarcastically, Liam hesitated for a second before deciding to screw it, reaching out to make sure the younger boy was properly tucked in, considering for a moment whether he should wake Niall or not before quickly deciding that it'd probably kill him. "Do you guys need any blankets or something? There are a few in the cupboard over there."

"We'll get them if we need them, thanks. When are you getting up tomorrow?" Right, Not exactly Liam's favorite topic, he just sighed slightly, momentarily ignoring Louis' question and instead hooking his arm underneath the blonde boy's knees, wrapping the other one around his back before lifting him up like he had so many times before. This was getting familiar by now honestly.

"At eight, Niall has a class in the morning, and we gotta be at work at 10, Haz." Which would leave Liam with about 5 hours of sleep, but he wouldn't like for Niall having to have breakfast all by himself, he looked so small and cute now in Liam's arms, head on his shoulder, automatically holding onto his shirt just like he always did. How was it possible that Liam had been missing him this much in just a few hours? "I'll wake you up if you want."

"Yeah, thanks… " It wasn't a secret what that smirk on both of their faces meant, but Liam couldn't bring himself to care, all he wanted right now was making sure Niall was fine and getting both him and the blonde boy into bed. Which was exactly why Harry's comment wasn't too appreciated. "You really care a lot about him, huh?"

"Of course I do." Liam resisted shrugging, carefully adjusting Niall in his arms, almost getting a bit scared when the boy let out a sigh. It was actually amazing, all the noises he could sleep through, Liam was worried whether it was still gonna wake him in the end if he kept on standing there. "Thanks for, you know… I'll see you guys in a few hours, goodnight."

"Night, Li… "Didn't sound too much like they had already gotten over it, but Liam didn't even feel like checking their faces anymore, he just turned around to leave, more than just happy about the fact that his room was in the hallway around the corner. No need for anyone to see that they were about to sleep in the same bed, they had seen enough already.

Though Liam was really trying his best closing the door as quietly as possible with his foot before walking over to his bed and attempting to lie Niall down in the gentlest way possible, it did cause the boy to stir a tiny bit, his hand still curled around Liam's shirt, making it more than hard for him to try and open his fingers. "Hmm…."

"Shh, Ni, sleep on, it's fine." This always was a lot harder than it looked like, Liam brushed a hand over the blonde hair, waiting for Niall to move around a bit more, obviously trying to adjust, his face ending up smushed in the pillow, a deep sigh escaping him when the older man rearranged the blanket the boy had been covered with the whole time. There, now he really did look like a baby sleeping.

The TV was inaudible from inside Liam's room, luckily, because Liam wasn't quite sure if he would've been able to fall asleep if it hadn't, unlike Niall who would've probably been able to pass out during a blizzard.

Since he would still have enough time to shower tomorrow, Liam simply undressed himself, throwing his clothes somewhere next to the closet before pulling a pair of sweatpants out, not even bothering with a shirt anymore. What'd it matter anyways, Niall had seen him like this countless times, and he had blushed like crazy every single time as well, which Liam had managed to ignore more than just successfully.

It'd be a lie to say that it didn't worry him how this night had gone from Niall's point of view, but at least he had been comfortable enough to fall asleep with the other two in the room, even if it had just been because he had been planning on waiting up for Liam. Which hopefully wasn't true because it gave Liam a sting to the heart just thinking about being missed by the younger boy, it seemed kind of weird that anyone would ever wanna be with him this much and often, but since Liam felt the same the other way around, maybe that's really how Niall felt.

As soon as Liam had turned the lights off and gotten under his own blanket, he turned onto his side just like Niall had so they were facing each other, like every night to be honest, freeing his arm so that he could place it onto the boy's back, a ritual that Liam had gotten used to a bit too quickly.

Tonight though, it didn't really help Niall to stay asleep, in fact, it actually seemed to have woken him up, because there was some mumbling coming from his side that wouldn't get better even through Liam's palm rubbing slow circles. "Shsh, 'm here, Nialler, it's alright… "

"Hmmm… Liam?" Though his voice was quiet, Liam was pretty sure that the boy had somewhat woken up now, not quite sure in complete darkness though but his heart fell a bit at hearing his name. 

"Yeah, I'm back, it's okay, Ni, you're in bed, just go back to sleep, we gotta get up tomorrow." Well, they always had to get up, but before Liam could say anything else in an attempt to calm the boy or start stroking his hair like he sometimes did, Niall was suddenly moving. Closer to him.

"Li… " Okay, he was definitely not fully woken up or he would've never used that nickname, it got Liam smiling a tiny bit, not at all minding the younger boy trying to be closer to him, completely invading his privacy here and honestly, Liam wasn't doing the tiniest bit to stop it. Especially not anymore when he heard the small whine. "I wanna cuddle… "

For a moment or two, Liam almost hesitated, not because he didn't want to but simply because he knew Niall would have never asked this had he been fully awake. Then again though, it didn't mean that he didn't honestly want to because otherwise he wouldn't have been saying it in the first place and it'd be a lie to say it didn't cause Liam's heart to melt, an involuntary smile forming on his lips as he decided that in case this got awkward, they could blame it on them having moved this close while sleeping. Not that the older man would have ever regretted doing this, he was just slightly worried about Niall's reaction. "Okay… come under my blanket."

Liam wasn't joking around, besides, Niall immediately played along, letting Liam softly pulling him underneath his own blanket and closer towards him until there was barely any distance between them anymore, immediately causing the brunette man to feel warmer. This wasn't bad in any way. "Li… ?"

"Yeah?" Making sure to rearrange the blanket properly, Liam almost got goosebumps when Niall cuddled even closer, into his bare chest, his breath hitting the older man's neck as Liam wrapped his arms around Niall, just because they were this close already, it didn't matter anymore.

"I missed you… " It sounded like sleep talking, but Liam automatically tightened his hug, not thinking as he pressed a kiss onto the top of Niall's head into his messy blonde hair, tucking his chin over it afterwards. 

"I missed you too." Which was true, Liam always kind of missed him even if he never really said it out loud. There were a lot of things though that Liam couldn't really say, for example how much he loved lying like this, Niall wrapped up into his arms and cuddled into him, all soft and sleepy, but that didn't mean he couldn't secretly enjoy the hell out of it. "Go back to sleep now, yeah? We have to be up in a few hours, sweet dreams, Ni…"

There was only a tiny approving sound before Niall tried to press even closer, his breathing getting even again a few seconds later, leaving Liam awake with nothing but a warm feeling spreading in his chest, a dumb smile on his face and without the tiniest chance of ever falling asleep himself.

Well, at least that was still gonna be one of his most relaxing nights ever, who cared why he felt that way or why Niall wanted to cuddle so close, what mattered was that it was making both of them happy and that for however long they were like this, Liam could completely forget about any worries he might have ever had.

 

—————

 

Their routine had become even more normal after a whole month longer of Niall staying with Liam. 

Or basically, he had actually kinda moved in if they were taking it how it was, because all of his clothes were there and he would cook dinner for them and sometimes he'd ask Liam what he wanted him to buy so he could write it on his shopping list. They were getting so domestic to a point where Niall one time sat down on the couch next to Liam in the evening, the first thing he said being that they needed new cleaning bags to put into the vacuum cleaner.

Maybe Liam should've found this weird or worrying, maybe he should have stopped them from getting so close that they would wake up every morning in his bed without it being clear whose side belonged to who anymore because they had once again moved to cuddling in their sleep.

But for some reason, neither of them commented on it ever, they just kinda went with it, figuring out new things along the way to the point where all of it seemed more than natural and normal. It was as if they had always lived together like this after a while and Liam couldn't think of a single thing wrong with that. All that mattered to him was that Niall was alright, which he was, a lot more lively and bubbly too the longer he stayed with Liam, they barely ever talked about the incident anymore and honestly, the brunette man sometimes caught himself wishing none of it would ever have to change again.

"Nialler, I'm back h-"

"Hey, Li!" Before Liam could even finish his sentence or look up from where he had been attempting to take his shoes off, he was already enveloped into a tight hug, so unexpected that Liam actually had to take a step back, making sure to wrap his arms around Niall in order to keep both of them from falling. 

Though it had been quite an exhausting day, Liam couldn't help but smile into the blonde boy's hair after pressing a kiss there, almost immediately having forgotten everything that had happened, not thinking twice before almost squeezing him so hard that the younger boy could barely stand on his tiptoes anymore. God, was it normal to miss someone this much? "Hey… are you good? Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. And you?" His voice was muffled since his face was pressed right into Liam's shoulder, hot breath hitting the older boy through the fabric, his stomach getting warmer at the question. Whenever Niall asked him these kinda things or showed any kind of concern about him, it was honestly the best thing ever, to know he cared about the older man just like the other way around.

"I'm good too now that I'm home." Now that he was with Niall, which was of course not what Liam said, rocking them back and forth for a bit before slowly attempting to pull back, Niall's hands remaining on his waist, a huge grin on his lips once they were looking at each other. Had he possibly gotten cuter since they had parted this morning? Possibly. "So, I hope you didn't make any dinner."

"I was about to when you texted me not to, I still don't know why though, I had a really good idea, you know." Pretending to be pouting now, Niall's smile was still there when Liam brushed some hair out of his forehead, laughing softly as he saw the slight blush on his cheeks, even after all these weeks. 

"You can save it, babe, I got a way better idea." No idea when Liam had come up with that, maybe while he had been driving with Harry and his friend had told him about what he was planning on doing tonight, Liam kinda hadn't been thinking when he had taken his own phone out to text Niall.

"What idea?" Then suddenly, his face fell a bit, almost as if he was scared to talk on, his voice quiet and careful when he did so. "Liam… the last time you cooked, you-"

"I'm not gonna cook, Ni, don't worry." Not being able to hold back, Liam let out another laugh at Niall's terrified face at the thought of having to eat Liam's cooking, smacking a kiss against the younger boy's forehead before ruffling his hair. 

"Then what are we gonna do?" He was seemingly relieved at that, his cheeks turning a little bit pinker from the kiss, but otherwise he made no attempts to let go of the older boy so Liam just left his arms around the boy's neck as well, making it a bit harder for him to look up at him since they were standing so close. 

"Well, I was thinking, since you always have to make dinner and it's not fair at all that you have so much to do when I-"

"You have a lot to do as well, you're at work." Niall threw in, his warm palms on Liam's hips were only slightly distracting, though it was over his clothes, the brunette man was still more than aware of the touch. Also how close they really were, their chests almost pressed together, Liam hadn't even had a chance to take his shoes off before already having gotten half attacked by the boy. Not that he would have had it any other way. "And I just sit around and-"

"No, you don't. Anyways, I'll take you somewhere for dinner tonight, it's friday anyways and I know it won't make up for how much you cook, but… still thought you might wanna go." It wasn't a date, even if Liam had the idea from Harry who was indeed taking Louis out to eat for a date, but this was different. Very different.

"Oh… really? You… you don't have to." Obviously though, Niall really wanted to because his face had immediately brightened up, eyes glowing a bit, instantly making Liam feel better. For a moment, he had almost worried about whether Niall would even wanna go.

"But I want to, you do a lot in here and you don't even have to, I really want to take you out for dinner." Honestly, Niall had already talked a few times about how he felt bad for living at Liam's apartment for free, even offering to pay half the rent, which the older man hadn't accepted of course. Even though Niall lived here, he still had his own rent to pay and if he'd have to pay for both, he'd have to go find a job, which would probably be on saturdays, resulting in them losing their weekends together. Yeah… maybe Liam was encouraging the fact that Niall just didn't get a new job a bit too much. "And don't say anything now, I will still want to do it no matter what your argument might be. So, do you wanna go out for dinner with me?"

The blonde boy sighed a tiny bit at that, but the smile playing around his lips told Liam that he had already won, grinning when Niall nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'd really like that."

"Thought so. I'm just gonna go change, okay? Then we can go wherever you want in case you have any requests." Rubbing the boy's shoulders a bit before slowly letting his arms slip to step away, Liam almost felt a bit weird for having his body all to himself again when they parted, having a hard time to stop looking at Niall. Just… after a whole day of not seeing him, it was so nice to have the boy around him again, look at him whenever he wanted to, as weird as it sounded.

"I don't, I wanna go wherever you wanna go." He was so cute, Liam rolled his eyes fondly as Niall let out a laugh, clearly excited about this, he seemed to not wanting to stand still for even half a second. "I think I'm gonna go change as well, don't really wanna go in the clothes I've taken a nap in before…"

"How long was your nap?" Niall took a lot of naps during the day, at least when Liam wasn't there, the older man wasn't sure but he had his theories to that, mostly ones that gave him a few stomach pains because he was pretty sure Niall was doing it just so he wouldn't have to be alone for that long, make time pass faster. But maybe he was just a bit like a baby and needed more sleep than normal people.

"Half an hour. I'm much more awake now though, so that's good. Maybe… maybe we can watch a movie when we get back?" Like they always did actually. Liam had managed to take his shoes off by now, smiling a bit when he shook his head slowly, seeing Niall's face fall for just a second before he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, slowly walking him down the hallway.

"I was thinking… we could also go to the movies instead, if you want to. We've never been there and actually… I haven't been there in ages, so." No need to think about that that was also what Harry and Louis were gonna do as a date tonight, but Liam was gonna bring Niall to a different movie theatre of course, with a completely different purpose obviously. 

"Oooh, really?" Seeing his face light up like that was way worth it, Niall almost stumbled over his own feet in excitement, having Liam's cheeks hurting from how big he was smiling by now. "Maybe I won't change, I can look up a movie while you do."

"Sounds like a really great plan." It really did, Liam just led Niall into his own room before slowly letting his arm slip, rubbing the boy's back before going over to his closet, not minding Niall taking a seat on his (by now _their_ ) bed, already having his phone pulled out to google something while Liam was still busy getting his closet to open.

Niall's eyes stayed glued onto the screen of his phone the whole time while he read movies out loud, so he didn't blush this time when Liam was first shirtless and then only in his boxers, although, his pale face had a few red spots, probably out of excitement though. Surely, Liam had never met anyone who was this excited about going to dinner and then watching a movie, which was a little bit sad too because that probably was because he hadn't really had friends to do stuff like that with until now and Liam felt a bit crappy for not having suggested it sooner. But he could make up for it, they could, like, make a day like this every week or something.

Deciding for a movie turned out to be a lot harder than thought, mainly because Liam told Niall they could watch whatever he wanted which then caused the younger boy to have a hard time deciding, still not done when they were already in the car and on their way.

"Niall, we can also decide spontaneously, you know, it's not a big deal if we don't decide now." But it seemed to be for the younger boy, Liam was actually quite amused by his struggle, making sure to rearrange his shirt a little bit once he had stopped at a red light before realizing that there was no need to. This wasn't a date after all, even if he had somewhat tried to make his hair look okay with Niall sitting next to him in the bathroom on the edge of the bathtub, reading movies to him of course before deciding that he could try to do his hair as well. In the end, Liam had done it for him, having more fun with it than he maybe should have had, not being able to shut his mouth afterwards and tell Niall how handsome he looked. Which he did, always.

"Yeah, I know, just… I thought we should be prepared. Where are we going?" With a sigh, the boy finally put his phone away, looking slightly stressed out as Liam threw a look over at the passenger, almost having to laugh again. 

"Just some of my favorite places, haven't been there in ages though, but they have pretty much everything so you're surely gonna find something you like." Maybe going there hadn't been such a good idea, because the last time Liam had been there had been with someone else and… he didn't really like remembering that. But then again, he had Niall with him now and that was honestly enough to make everything a little bit better, it'd be good to replace his old memories with new ones, trying not to think about it anymore.

"I like every food anyways." Well, that was more than true, Liam chuckled slightly over the seriousness in the blonde boy's voice, even if it hadn't been a joke of course, the variety of snacks Niall always bought were proof enough of that. "We are gonna split the bill though, right?"

"What? No, of course we aren't, I'm paying." Was he okay? It had been Liam's idea, of course he wouldn't let Niall pay just one single pound. "What makes you think I'm gonna let you pay for your own food?"

"Liam! I already live at your apartment for free, I-"

"Hey, shush, I asked you to go out for dinner with me so I'm paying." And then, since Niall's mouth was already open again as soon as Liam had parked the car, the older man just decided to carry on. "Before you ask, I'm paying for the movie too, and anything else you want tonight. No discussion, okay?"

"That's not even fair…" Niall grumbled, pretending to be pouting when Liam laughed softly, ruffling the boy's hair even as he tried to slightly move away, not really though, it was quite obvious that he was gonna be over this in a few minutes. "Maybe I'm not hungry anymore."

"Okay, then you can watch me eat because I am. I might accidentally order two dishes though and you're gonna have to help me finish." That actually caused Niall to let out a rather loud sigh before he simply undid his seatbelt, already starting to climb out of the car while Liam was still busy biting the inside of his cheek to shut himself up. No need to laugh yet again and get Niall unnecessarily worked up, even if it was just for fun. "You mad at me now, babe?"

"No…" Of course not, even if it sounded quite like it, Liam smirked at him after having walked around the car, pressing his key to lock it before placing his hand on the small of Niall's back, just briefly leaning over to kiss his temple softly, making sure he wasn't pissed off at him anymore. The fact that he made no attempts to pull away or move was a very good sign, as were his pink cheeks and the way he seemed to suddenly walk even closer to Liam than before. 

"Too bad, I would've bought you dessert to make up for it." Liam joked, causing Niall to huff as they walked towards the entrance of the restaurant, the older man not even thinking of letting go of Niall though. It kinda was his thing, making sure the blonde boy knew he was there, even if he didn't seem too anxious anymore when going outside, Liam was still used to doing it. Additionally to that, he felt a lot better himself knowing that the boy was fine and within reach.

"I don't think I wanted any dessert anyways… then I won't be able to eat any popcorn." The older man should've known that, immediately seeing Niall's cheeks turning red as he realized what he had said, of course being embarrassed about it a second later even if it had made Liam smile. "I-I mean… not that I expect you to buy me any, I wasn't even thinking about that, I was just-"

"C'mon, Ni, it's okay, I know what you meant and I would've bought you popcorn regardless of that, yeah? I know how much you love it." And he really did, it'd only be fair for Liam to buy it since Niall always bought the one they ate at home whenever they had movie night, so really, there was no need at all for him to blush now. But it was cute so Liam was gonna allow it. "Let's get some real food first though, yeah? I really want you to try it, maybe we can come back soon, like… we should do these kinda things more often, we always stay at home. Not that I don't like staying at home, but this is nice too, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah… yeah it is. But next time I still get to pay." Definitely not, but Liam let it be for now, just slowly shaking his head at the younger boy with a smile on his lips before opening the door for him, letting him go inside in front of him, hand still resting on his lower back. Honestly, if he could have, he would've always somehow kept touching the boy, just lightly somewhere, to make sure he wouldn't lose him, but also a little bit because he wanted to.

They got a really nice table actually, considering it was friday and all, but it wasn't too late yet either because Liam had actually gotten off a bit earlier today, luckily, because otherwise Niall would have probably starved to death, he had sent Liam a sad smiley as an answer to the text that he shouldn't cook any dinner tonight, almost causing the older man to change his mind. Now though, he was really glad that he hadn't.

Unsurprisingly, Niall found a lot of things on the menu he liked, but he managed to only settle for one though after Liam promised he was gonna choose the boy's second favorite so that they could share. For some reason, the brunette man had a feeling that this was exactly what Harry and Louis were doing right at this second as well, but he pushed the thought far, far away, calming himself down by the fact that they were sitting rather far apart and that they weren't even touching, just two friends having dinner, nothing abnormal, right?

"… and I had this exam, remember? Where you helped me study?" They were halfway through their food by now, having tried each other's too just because and Liam actually found it quite amusing how they never ran out of things to talk about, other than the couple sitting at the table next to them.

"Yeah, of course I remember, you were doing really good when I asked you questions, did it go well?" Suddenly Liam was slightly worried, even if it wouldn't have been a big deal if Niall had one bad grade, but somehow the brunette boy wanted him to continue writing A's, since he always tried so hard to get them, he really deserved it and seeing him sad wasn't a nice feeling at all.

"It went fine I think… but I'm not sure how I did, it was a little bit harder than I thought, I hope I still did okay… " Clearly, it was getting to him more than it should have, he just shrugged a little bit, his happy face falling slightly while cutting something on his plate, causing Liam to freeze for a moment. He didn't wanna like, pour salt into the wounds by talking about it, but he also knew that Niall wouldn't have brought it up had he not wanted Liam to say something.

"Hey, it's fine if it didn't go that well, you know? I know you always study really hard, Ni, and it always pays off, but if it doesn't one time then it doesn't matter. And I also know you'd be disappointed and you're probably asking yourself now why you didn't study more, but you already did the best you could, I know it because I've seen you doing it and when I asked you stuff, you knew everything. So either the exam was so hard that no one really got it 100% or you just had a bad day, both is fine, you're gonna make up for it, yeah? I'm sure you will." Yeah, Liam was really desperate to cheer Niall up, he really didn't want him to be sad, especially not today, so just because, Liam let his hand drop over Niall's across the table, barely even thinking about it, just worriedly watching the blonde boy's face.

"Yeah, I… I know, just… it still keeps bugging me, like… college is the only thing I'm good at and… " His shrug was a bit helpless, cheeks slightly red yet he wasn't attempting to pull his hand away, not minding Liam's thumb slowly rubbing over his knuckles, his eyes fixated on his plate now. 

"No, it's not, Ni, you're really good at other things too. You're really good at cooking for example, and anything food making related. And you're also really good at making me laugh if that counts, and at making people like you, Harry and Louis can confirm that." Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say even if it was true because the other two guys had come over a few times more often, they really liked the blonde boy of course, their jokes having increased ever since then as well but it was fine because Liam was an expert at ignoring them. Niall did look up for one second to meet Liam's eyes before sighing just a bit, staring down at their hands instead.

"I… I don't really think the last one is true, like… I… don't really have any, um… friends, so… " Right, Liam really needed to shut his mouth once a while, even if he had meant it, it maybe hadn't been the best idea to try and cheer Niall up.

"Niall… look, it doesn't matter, okay? I wasn't the type who had lots of friends in college either, or in general, my only friends are Harry and Louis, and Zayn, who you haven't met, but… babe, who cares? I know it can get lonely, but… well, for me, that's why I'm really glad that I met you, even if it hasn't been through the nicest circumstances. I like having you staying with me and that someone's waiting for me to come home, someone I get along with and who I can talk to and… well, I do enjoy not having to sleep alone anymore either if I'm being totally honest here, I… I like how we can talk before we got sleep and all, yeah… " For the first time ever, it was almost Liam's turn to blush, or it would have been had Niall not already taken that part, his mouth a little bit open as he dead on stared at Liam, his hand twitching a little bit underneath the older boy's.

"I… r-really? You… you think all of that? And you're not just saying it to… to make me feel better?" How could Liam have possibly lied so convincingly? And for over a month now?

"No, I'm not, Nialler, I wouldn't lie to you like that, I couldn't and I think you'd notice if I wasn't telling you the truth. I really am glad to have you with me and I promise, once you're out of college and you have a job things are gonna change for the better, they did for me as well." Well, Liam had had friends, he had also dated, but… none of it had gone very deep or had lasted long, except for one relationship, but… yeah. 

"Okay…" Niall seemed a little bit better now so Liam slowly pulled back his hand, attempting a smile at the boy when their eyes met for a moment, more than just relieved at what Niall said then. Or half whispered more like, his cheeks that tiny bit pink. "You think that, um… that we… will still be friends by then?"

"Of course we will be, Nialler, why wouldn't we?" God, did he really think Liam would survive letting him go? He was overly anxious anything might happen to the boy or whatever else, hell, he was even scared to go to work sometimes because he didn't want Niall to be alone, and after all… they had never caught the guy, even if it had happened 1 and a half months ago already. "We'll always be friends if you want to, okay? Promise."

Of course he was nodding rather quickly to that, his face lightning up that tiny bit, causing Liam's stomach to get a lot warmer which definitely had not been caused by the food. "I… I want to."

"Alright, then that's settled. Let's finish this before it gets cold, yeah? We still got a movie to catch as well. Everything good?" Just to make sure, the younger bit his bottom lip before nodding, slowly picking his fork up again, smiling barely noticeably, but it was definitely there for Liam to see and it made him happier than anything else ever could have.

 

——————

 

They finished their food with lighter topics, Niall did pretend to pout a little bit more when Liam paid for everything, but he quickly got over it again once the older man brought the conversation back onto what movie they should watch.

In the end, they went for a kind of action movie that was a little bit heavier than thought, which was fine though because Liam didn't mind wrapping his arm around Niall while having the boy's face buried in his shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have found Niall being scared so cute but he just couldn't help it, more focusing on him in the end than the plot of the movie.

Still, Niall made sure to pronounce how much fun he had had all the way back, still thanking Liam for paying and for even having had the idea to all of this when they were already back home, very obviously being genuine. They definitely needed to these kinda nights more often. "I've never really done that with anyone, I didn't know it's so much fun, thank you so much, Li."

"You're welcome, Ni, for the hundredth time, babe. We should do this more often though, we can make it like, a once a week thing or something, I wouldn't mind at all." Actually, Liam was already mentally planning out where else he could take Niall while sliding off his shoes after locking the door, waiting for Niall to do the same once he was done because he knew the younger boy didn't like being left behind, even if it was just in a room in Liam's apartment. "Maybe we can also switch it up though, like, on weekends when we have all day, I'm sure that'd be even more fun."

"Yeah, of course! We can like… go to the zoo and stuff." Only Niall would suggest something like that, it caused the older boy to chuckle as Niall blushed of course, quickly clearing his throat, his mouth already open to try and talk himself out of it when Liam wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer, pressing his lips against the boy's forehead. No need to still count how many times he had already done that today. Or the past month. 

"I'd love to go to the zoo with you, babe. Anything you want." He promised, honestly meaning it when he said it, because yeah, he would do anything for Niall, seriously, whatever it was he'd ask for, whatever he wanted, Liam would most definitely not even hesitate for one second. 

"We don't have to though, I know… it's childish and-"

"Sht. No, it's not, I told you, everything you want, and I really mean it, okay?" Without thinking, Liam had covered Niall's mouth with one hand to shut his protest up, one hand still on his hips, standing so close to him that he could feel the warmth radiating from the boy, barely any distance between them or their faces had Liam not been so much taller. For a moment, his breath got a bit shaky at the thought. "Maybe we should make a list."

Since Liam had somehow forgotten to take his hand away, Niall was just blushing and nodding as far as that was possible, causing Liam to chuckle for only a moment, about to drop his hand, only slowly though, fingers brushing over the younger boy's soft lips.

"Sorry…" Liam had honestly no idea what was wrong with him, he just got caught up staring into Niall's blue eyes before looking down a bit, not even having noticed that he still had his thumb there, barely even touching Niall's bottom lip as he dragged it over the pink skin, feeling the blonde boy's breath hitting his knuckles. Okay, no, stop. "I… "

Niall didn't say anything at all, his face was glowing now, which was nothing new though because it always was, but for some reason it really caught Liam today, everything in Niall's face did all of a sudden.

They didn't speak for what felt like ages and yet it passed by so fast that Liam barely had a chance to grasp a clear thought. Of course these things had crossed Liam's mind a lot during the past few weeks, the way Niall's hair seemed to so perfectly frame his face, how it would almost look a bit gold in the sun, how fucking gorgeous his eyes were and the shape of his nose, the dimple on his cheek he got whenever he smiled.

It were no thoughts Liam liked to have though, so he had always quickly pushed them away as soon as they had come up, but now, now he was somewhat in trance, finally moving his hand away from the boy's lips though, instead gently cupping his cheek, thumb softly brushing over his skin, his smile long gone. 

There was something bugging him in the back of his head, because he knew exactly why he had taken Niall out today, not for the reason that he liked to tell himself, and now it felt like something was missing, something he would have normally done had this been a real date. And one that he would have openly called a date as well, not having to tell himself that it wasn't just so he wouldn't have to somewhat think about his feelings.

They had somehow done it the wrong way around, it felt wrong to think about Niall like that, even if Liam of course knew what all the blushing was about, and the cuddling, but they were already sleeping in one bed since weeks and acting more domestic than some couples, and now that Liam for once pushed what was right and what was wrong away, he realized what step it was they had been missing out. 

He KNEW he wasn't allowed to do this, he knew it, yet he didn't take his hand away from Niall's face or stepped back when the boy's breathing increased and even more blush crept into his face. Liam was aware that this was fucking wrong and impossible, but he just couldn't help himself anymore, they had just been on a bloody date and if he had to kiss Niall's cheek or forehead one more time so it wouldn't be his lips, he was gonna go insane. 

"I'm sorry… " As if apologizing beforehand would do anything at all, Liam was barely able to catch Niall's confused expression before leaning in, pulling the younger boy in a bit more with the hand on his waist, stopping before kissing his lips though, as if to wait for permission, of course not getting a rejection. It's not like Liam hadn't already figured out that this was what Niall wanted as well, he wasn't blind or a fucking idiot.

For a second, Liam almost pulled out, but then he turned his brain off, for a moment thinking of how many times he had wanted to grab the younger boy and just do this, so without further do, his thumb still stroking Niall's cheek, Liam just smashed their lips on top of each other, breathing out against where his nose was pressed against the younger boy's.

Having Niall's mouth on top of his felt a lot better than expected, Liam swallowed down a groan, fighting more than just hard to just keep it at that, not grab Niall too tightly, the boy had gone all loose and pliant under his touch, just kissing him with closed lips, his heart hammering like crazy, stomach twisting into knots.

It only lasted for a few seconds though before it came into Liam's mind all of a sudden that he was most likely destroying this boy's first experience with kisses and that he had just messed everything up that they had had during the past one and a half months. 

That's when he pulled away in terror. 

"Shit, I… " Fuck. He shouldn't have done it, he had done so well up until now, had suppressed his feelings and thoughts, and now Niall and him were staring at each other, both with wide eyes and slightly redder lips, the blonde boy's expression completely undefinable. Holy shit. "I-I… Niall, I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have I… fuck, I'm so sorry if this was your first kiss, I… fuck!"

"L-Li, I… " Of course he wasn't mad, of course his face was just shocked because Liam had done such a good job at hiding it, and what was even worse now, there were probably hopes building up in him that Liam would have to crush in a few seconds. Why was he such a fucking idiot?! "I didn't um… didn't mind, I-"

"I know you didn't, Niall … " Sighing heavily, Liam rubbed his hands over his face, trying to calm himself down but not being able to, he was such an asshole, why had he thought it'd be alright to break this boy's heart just because he had wanted to kiss him? He could have held back for god's sake, it wasn't that bloody hard! "We should… we should forget about it. I shouldn't have done it and I'm so sorry, I just…."

"B-But… " Niall was understandably confused, maybe even more than before, Liam didn't dare looking at him properly, he was just focused on keeping distance between them now, trying to keep himself from storming off or smashing his head into the wall. He was supposed to be responsible, keep the appropriate emotional as well as physical distance, and now… now he had messed it all up. "Why did you… do it?"

Of course Niall was asking this, it pained Liam to hear the boy's voice being so broken, tears shimmering in his eyes as he looked up momentarily, his heart aching from knowing that he was the one who had put them there. Just because he hadn't been able to fucking control himself. "I… I don't know, I just… we shouldn't talk about this anymore, we should just… I'm sorry I messed it up, I… please let's try to forget about it, I… I'm so sorry, Niall."

"I… I don't wanna forget about it." There it was, this was too much, why did he have to like Liam so much, Liam wasn't great in any way, plus he was so much older than Niall and anyways, he couldn't be in a relationship, it just… wasn't possible. 

"But I do, Niall, I… I gotta… " Yeah, no idea what, Liam just couldn't keep on standing there any longer with Niall's tears being so close to spilling over, so he just walked right past him, feeling like absolute crap since the younger boy of course followed him right away. He always did that, like a puppy, running after Liam because he couldn't stand to be alone and it was so sweet but it wasn't making things any easier right now.

"But, Liam…" He started again, almost whining now, though he did stop in the doorframe when Liam entered his room, not knowing what to do with himself so he just randomly started to pick up stuff that was lying around on the floor, trying his hardest to ignore his tingling lips or the broken half whisper coming from the door. "What're you doing…?"

"Distracting myself. Cleaning." Liam answered honestly, maybe a tiny bit too harsh, but he didn't dare to check Niall's face, feeling way too bad as to put up with this now, he had no idea what to do or even say like… how the fuck should they even go to sleep tonight, in the same damn bed?!

"I can help… " Even now Niall was being sweet, it immediately caused Liam to throw the few pieces of clothes he had picked up onto the bed before spinning around, breathing a tiny bit too hard, his heart sinking when his and Niall's eyes met, the boy's tears seconds from spilling over. 

"No, Niall, I… " Sighing deeply, Liam finally realized that he couldn't just leave Niall hanging like this, he had just messed up this kid's first kiss, he couldn't hurt him even more. "Look, Nialler… we can't, okay? I'm sorry, but… I know you like me, Ni, I know, okay? And it's fine, it doesn't make things weird, just… "

"You don't like me back… " And at that, his voice broke away completely, a tear spilling over as he sniffed, staring down at the floor while twisting his fingers together, more hurt than Liam had ever seen him. Maybe that's why he just walked over to where the boy was standing, carefully putting his hands on Niall's shoulders to not startle him. 

"I never said I didn't, Ni… I just kissed you for god's sake, but… I can't and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you any false hopes and I know I can't make up for it… " Liam wanted to wipe Niall's tears so badly, more, wanted to kiss them away and pull the boy into his arms and tell him it was fine, that he did want to try this because he had feelings for him as well, but… he just couldn't. All he felt would be alright was leaning forward, very briefly kissing the boy's forehead before stepping away again. "I'm so sorry, you deserve so much better … "

"Is it b-because… because I'm t-too young?" Niall sniffed again, it was impossible for Liam to look at him now or he would have gone insane and possibly given in. 

"No, Ni, I don't mind your age, I just… I can't be in a relationship right now, okay?" He would never know how to explain this, sometimes Liam didn't even know it himself, he was aware how bloody stupid he looked now, HE had been the one who had kissed Niall, not the other way around, he should've been responsible enough to not do it. But he had.

Niall didn't answer for a few minutes, Liam had just gone over to sit on his bed with his face in his hands, wishing he wouldn't hear the tiny sniffs coming from the door or felt such an urge to go and let the blonde boy cry in his arms. Why did he have to develop feelings for him? Why was Niall so stupidly cute and gorgeous and funny, this shouldn't have happened, and even worse, Niall shouldn't have fucking returned his feelings!

But he did, it was clear to see, had been for a while already, they were always close, always touching, hugging each other as if they hadn't seen each other for years, fucking cuddling while watching movies and now… now they had even gone on a date for Christ's sake! And the very worst part, Liam really wanted this to carry on, he wanted this, to kiss Niall good morning and good night, hold his hand, let him sit in his lap, just be a stupidly cute couple, but… he couldn't.

"Is it… because of her?" When Niall spoke up again, he was whispering, very obviously crying, Liam didn't have to turn his head in confusion to know about the tears on his red cheeks, still standing in the doorframe, looking like a lost puppy.

"Her?" For a moment, Liam had no idea at all what Niall meant, or better, WHO he could've meant, which was why his eyes got wide as the boy spoke up again, slowly, carefully, as if he was scared all of a sudden.

"Your… your l-last g-girlfriend…" One second…

"How do you know about her?" There was nothing in Liam's apartment that would have reminded of her, of the life they had had, or whatever they had had planned, his eyes were about to fall out of his head as he dead on stared at Niall, all of his insides rebelling against having this conversation. He had sworn himself he wasn't gonna ever bring this up, that he wasn't gonna talk about this to anyone anymore. "Did Harry and Louis tell you? Fuck, what were they thinking?! They know they're not supposed to fucking bring this up!"

"P-Please d-don't y-yell… " But Liam couldn't help himself, he had already jumped up in anger, not being able to believe what he was hearing here, hell, how long had Niall even fucking known?! And HOW much did he know?" L-Li, I-I'm s-sorry… t-that s-she… I-I s-shouldn't h-have a-asked, I-"

"No, you shouldn't have." Liam snapped, immediately regretting it afterwards because Niall flinched terribly, taking a step back, trying to wipe his tears but not being able to dry his face completely because they just kept coming. Fuck, how much worse could this situation get?! "How much did they tell you?"

"N-Nothing, j-just… j-just t-the a-accident a-and…. h-how l-long y-you've b-been together a-and… t-that you h-had plans a-and… t-that y-you t-thought i-it w-was… u-um… m-murder…" Niall was shaking now, wrapping his arms around himself and Liam wanted so badly to just calm down and talk about his in a normal voice, but… but he just couldn't, this was his absolute weak spot and he couldn't believe that his friends had dared to even think about telling the blonde boy. "L-Liam, I'm s-sorry, I… d-didn't mean to u-upset you, I-I… j-just… I l-like y-you s-so much a-and… a-and I w-was w-wondering if… if y-you s-still… l-love h-her…"

Was he jealous? Of Liam's dead girlfriend? It almost seemed like it and the older boy couldn't help but let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head as he tore his eyes away from Niall, not daring to go any closer, just in case. There was no need to keep this a secret any longer, since it obviously hadn't ever been one to begin with, so Liam just spat it out, in the harshest voice he had ever used in Niall's presence. And hopefully never again would. "We've been dating for four years, but we've known each other much longer, our families were like one family already, she had moved in with me here and… we were gonna get married. I hadn't proposed yet, but… the night she died, she… she told me she had something exciting to tell me and… she didn't know I already knew because I found the test in the bathroom, but… she was pregnant. And we never got the chance to even talk about it or… think about it, we weren't trying for kids, we were too young, but… but I was excited, somehow, I… for that day, I really wanted to become a dad… no one knew, I… I've never told anyone that, not even Harry and Louis. The car crash… was really unexpected, she was a good driver and… I'm still not sure if it was an accident…" 

The silence following to that was heavy, uncomfortable, even if Liam suddenly felt a bit calmer, when he lifted his head to see Niall's face, it was more than clear that telling him had been the worst idea ever. "So the a-answer… i-is y-yes."

"Niall, I-"

"I-I w-wanna go h-home." Was all he choked out, his whole face red and wet now as he just left Liam standing in his room, already walking down the hallway to where all his stuff was, no doubt about to stuff it all back into his bag and take off. Fuck.

"Niall, no, wait, we can talk about it, I didn't mean to hurt you or to snap at you, I'm sorry!" Liam panicked at the thought of seeing Niall go, his heart bumping fast as he hurried after him, grabbing his wrist just in time before he could disappear into his room, for a second forgetting what he been trying to say as Niall spun around. "Babe-"

"D-Don't! It's f-fine i-if you l-love h-her, j-just… w-why d-did y-you k-kiss me?! I k-know w-why y-you d-don't w-wanna b-be w-with m-me, w-why didn't y-you j-just s-say i-it?! L-Let m-me g-go!" Of course the boy was way weaker than Liam, he was crying almost hysterically now, giving the older man no chance to come up with a clear thought, he just wanted to hold him and calm him down, but clearly, that wasn't gonna happen.

"What… what do you think the reason is?" Liam couldn't help but ask, the thought of seeing Niall leave hurt him so much that he could barely breathe, that evening had been so nice and now… now all of it was gonna go to waste?!

"B-Because I-I'm n-not a g-girl a-and… y-you s-still l-love her a-and we'd n-never b-be a-able to-to h-have the f-family y-you want!" That… was about the biggest bullshit Liam had ever heard.

"Niall, that's not the-" 

"L-Let g-go!" And this time, Niall pulled so hard and furiously that Liam didn't notice that his grip had loosened, fingers slipping from the younger boy's wrist and before he could even blink, the door to his room had been smashed shut and locked from the inside, leaving the brunette man alone in the hallway with more guilt bubbling in his stomach than he had ever felt. 

He knew there was nothing he could tell Niall to make the boy believe him, he knew he had just messed everything up that they had had. All because he hadn't been able to suppress his bloody feelings.

When Liam leaned his forehead against the cold door, he could hear the noises from inside, how Niall was half ripping the closet open to pack his stuff, and all he could think of was that he had no idea whether he'd even be able to go to sleep without the younger boy next to him in bed, his voice only a whisper as he spoke inaudible to hear for anyone but himself. "Please don't go… "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry D:


	8. Chapter 8

Niall had been through a lot of shit in his life, a lot of things that had caused him to lose ground under his feet yet somehow this time felt even worse.

Maybe it was because it had been unexpected and because he had thought that just for once things were going to start looking brighter, he had thought that Liam really would be there for him, that he wasn't gonna leave him just like everyone else. And then this had happened.

Of course Niall knew that he hadn't been so good at hiding his stupid crush, but… he wouldn't have ever thought Liam would be able to feel something for him as well, or _kiss_ him for that matter, that was just… insane? What was there to like about Niall anyways? He was just annoying and childish, nothing more.

Still, for a few tiny seconds, Niall had had hopes that maybe Liam really did like him just as much, that he'd agree to try this, give Niall a chance, but no. Of course Liam wasn't gonna do that, whatever it was, either the blonde boy's age or his girlfriend that he still loved after all this time.

Who really knew what it was that was holding Liam back, Niall was pretty sure that it was personal, he just didn't wanna be with him, maybe he had kissed Niall by mistake or something, fact was that the younger boy couldn't stay there anymore, not now that it had gotten so far. And anyways, Liam would have surely kicked him out, not tonight, but in a few days, when he had grown tired of seeing Niall's face. 

To be fair, the brunette man had sounded quite serious before when he had begged Niall to stay, not yelling anymore or talking in the harsh voice that had really scared Niall, no, he had sounded genuine, almost close to tears, but Niall had still ignored him, just having stuffed his bags and left the apartment. Not at all surprised when no one had come after him.

That bus ride had been the worst of Niall's entire life, he had really tried hard to hold back his tears, but it's not like anyone would have cared so he just let them drop after a while, kinda used to people looking at him in a strange way. What did it matter anyway? Just for once Niall wished someone would have actually tried to murder him and succeeded at it, what was the point really, he liked Liam so much, he felt safe with him and just all around good and now… now he had lost him too, just like everyone else.

When Niall got home into his flat after a good month of not having been there, it felt almost strange to enter, a place where no one else was or would come home to, for a few moments, he was almost terrified to step inside. But then he remembered that Liam was probably never gonna wanna see or talk to him again so Niall decided that it didn't matter, not even bothering to unpack but simply dropping his bag right by the door, barely having any strength to even slip off his shoes.

Being here felt wrong, Niall had been living alone for so long, but he had gotten so used to being with Liam and waiting for him to come home, sleep in a bed with him, have dinner with him and watch movies, it felt even more lonely now to be on his own.

There was no point in drying his face or anything, Niall just let the tears drop now as he slowly walked to his bedroom, sniffing a bit because what did it matter? No one was there to hear him anyways, no one cared about him, in this whole bloody world, there wasn't even one person Niall could have called to talk to about this, or ask for advice. No, he was all on his own and he probably deserved it anyways.

He shouldn't have asked Liam about his girlfriend, it had clearly hurt him and it had also meant betraying Harry and Louis, the only people who talked to Niall. And then afterwards, when Liam had told him the whole story, all Niall had been thinking of had been his own jealousy, not how Liam had lost his _pregnant_ girlfriend who he had wanted to marry. He was so selfish, no wonder he had no friends.

Niall knew that it was his own fault, but he couldn't help except for still feeling sorry for himself as he went to lie in his made bed, somehow carelessly draping the blanket over his body, hugging his pillow to his chest even if none of it made up for Liam's absence.

Nothing would ever live up to what Niall had had for the past one and a half months, Liam was the greatest human being alive and Niall had messed it up, he was never ever gonna find someone like Liam who liked him and was being so nice and who cuddled him and even took him out for dinner and kissed his face. Never again.

That thought had Niall crying even harder, his whole body was hurting by now, he had no idea what to do or how in god's name he was just gonna carry on with his old life, he literally just wanted to keep on lying here forever until he was dead. 

Why did Liam have to kiss him? They could've been lying in bed together right now and talked about whatever random stuff they could have come up with and then Niall could have fallen asleep to Liam's calming voice and possibly while being held in his arms. But no, now he had to fall asleep feeling cold and all by himself.

No idea how much time passed by, hours probably, Niall slipped in and out of sleep, having terrible nightmares compared to his already very shitty mood, he just wanted Liam now, ready to text him or do whatever it took really. Instead though, the reason why Niall had to fully wake up in the end, feeling terribly empty and suddenly scared as hell, was someone repeatedly ringing his doorbell.

Of course his mind first jumped to a neighbor or something, who maybe thought he was dead since he hadn't been home in ages, then it suddenly jumped to the guy who had almost killed him. But he wouldn't kill him in his doorframe, right? He for sure wouldn't ring either.

At least that's what Niall was trying to tell himself as he attempted to wipe his swollen, red and wet face, feeling rather shaky any cold as he half stumbled closer to the door, of course not opening up right away, but rather waiting for the person to ring one more time, clearing his throat a tiny little bit. He still sounded kind of dead though, which was also how he felt, at least inside. "Who… who's there?"

"Niall, it's me… please open up." Oh shit. Never in a million years would Niall have expected Liam to drive here all the way and ring on his doorbell, like, and why did he sound so beaten down?! "I'm so sorry, okay? For everything, just… please let us talk, I can't stand this any longer, I know it's like 1 am and I'm sorry if I woke you, but… I can't sleep without you and before we found a solution to this, please just let me in…"

Had he just REALLY said that?! That he couldn't sleep without Niall?! The younger boy's eyes had gotten wide, he was just frozen, nothing smart to say coming to his mind, even his tears having stopped momentarily. Liam had come, for _him_.

"Nialler, please, I'm so sorry and I know that I can't make it undone, but… I feel so bad for snapping at you and for… you know, I just… please let us talk, I can-"

Before Liam had a chance to finish the sentence, Niall suddenly remembered how to move his body again, half ripping the door open then because he just couldn't stand this anymore, he hadn't known he'd be able to miss Liam this extremely much after only a few hours, or feel so shitty after their fight that he honestly wished he could have died. Honestly, Niall was ready to do _anything_ it took to get Liam back.

"I… " Liam was obviously a bit surprised after Niall had opened the door, just staring at him for a few seconds, not looking very good himself though, he looked quite exhausted and his eyes were red as if he had cried, which of course was impossible, maybe he was just tired. "Can I… come in?"

Nodding slowly, Niall couldn't get over the fact how nice it felt to see Liam, he had to resist more than just hard to not break out into tears again and just throw himself at the older man, craving to feel his arms around him so badly that it hurt. If they wouldn't make up then Niall was probably gonna die from the pain, he couldn't be without Liam, he just couldn't. "Y-Yeah… "

"Thank you." It sounded very honest, Liam kept his eyes on Niall as the younger boy half stumbled back into the hallway to make space, watching as Liam carefully stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him before his eyes fell onto the bag that had been lying behind it. "You didn't unpack."

"No… " Niall almost only whispered, taking a very shaky breath before looking down while playing with his fingers, he could already feel the sob building up and the tears about to spill over, he wouldn't be able to hold it in. "L-Liam… "

"Yes?" Obviously, now that they had the chance, none of them really knew what to say, Niall didn't even know why he had half choked out the older man's name, maybe just because it was such a relief to be able to do it and to see him even if Niall was dead on staring at the carpet.

"I… " And then nothing, Niall couldn't think of anything, he couldn't stand this anymore, he just wanted a hug and to be told that it'd be alright, a tear spilling over at just the thought of never getting to be hold by Liam again, the thought of it so awful that the blonde boy decided to screw it. He couldn't keep himself together any longer. "I-I'm s-sorry… p-please don't b-be m-mad, I… I m-miss y-you… "

"Nialler, I'm not mad, I… " He sounded almost as sad as Niall, the younger boy sniffed rather loudly, trying to wipe his eyes once more without success, barely even able to immediately react to what Liam said then. "I miss you too… come here, baby."

Liam had never called him that, maybe that was the reason for Niall's head to snap up, fact was that he didn't take enough time to take this in, he basically just saw Liam standing there with his arms opened for the younger boy and before Niall had even fully checked his face, he had already taken those few steps and thrown himself at the older man, arms locked tightly around his neck.

Within a second or two, Niall had lost ground under his feat when Liam hugged back tightly, standing up straight, obviously having no problem to carry the younger boy when he wrapped his legs around the older man's waist, barely thinking about anything except for how nice it felt to be held like this. Maybe that's why he could barely contain his sobs any longer as he pressed his face into Liam's shoulder, tears not stopping to spill over anymore.

"Shsh, it's okay, Ni, everything's good, I promise… I'm so sorry and you have no reason at all to apologize, babe, it was all my fault, I shouldn't have been so mean or yelled or… " He probably regretted the kiss as well but Niall didn't even care right now, all he cared about was Liam turning his head to press his lips against whatever part of Niall he could reach, luckily not at all freaked out to do that like the blonde boy had feared. Then again though, Liam had told him he already knew since quite a while that Niall liked him a bit too much yet he had still cuddled with him in the same bed, and… and he HAD said that he did like Niall too, right? "Look, I'd understand if you don't want to, but… please come back? I don't want you to move back here, I… hell, you can stop paying rent for your flat, I don't care, we'll get all of your stuff and you can fully move in with me, just please come back, Ni… come back home."

Oh god. Had he really said all of that?! It just made Niall cry even harder if anything, clinging to Liam for his dear life, not being able to understand how anyone would want him to _move in_ with them. But here Liam was, still carrying him and placing kisses onto the side of his head, not at all sounding like he was joking around here. And he had called his apartment _home_ , as if it was Niall's too, as if he was already permanently living there. "R-Really…?"

"Yes, Nialler, of course, you know I wouldn't say things I don't mean, especially something like this, I… I just had three hours to think this all through and I would honestly go insane if I had to go back home without you, I just… I got so used to having you there with me and sleeping in my bed, I don't want to go back to how it's been before." This was exactly what Niall felt as well, maybe that's why he started crying even harder if that was any possible, continuing to cling to Liam, knowing that it wasn't making things any easier for the older man but he just couldn't help himself. "Niall, shsh, it's okay… I promise we're all good and we're never gonna have a fight again, okay? I'll make sure of that, it was all my fault anyways. Please calm down, babe, please, I hate seeing you hurt, everything is okay… "

"I-I'm o-okay… I-I r-really w-wanna… " Just for Liam, Niall tried his hardest to talk despite the sobs escaping him and his tight throat and the fact that his voice was all muffled from the man's shirt. "… c-come h-home w-with y-you… "

"Me too, baby, we'll go home, okay? We can talk when we're there and when you're feeling better, yeah? We'll find a solution, I promise you, Nialler." Hopefully they would, Niall would gladly just forget about the kiss and everything that had happened and just gone back to how it had been before, he could try and ignore his feelings for Liam, if only he could stay with him.

"O-Okay…" Sounded like the best idea ever, Niall got shivers thinking what would have happened if Liam wouldn't have shown up on his doorstep, if he hadn't cared at all, but he did apparently, otherwise he would have stayed home, right? That meant he couldn't care so little about Niall and just knowing that was the best feeling in the whole world.

Liam kept on holding Niall for a while longer, not saying anything but simply keeping his arms tight and placing a few more kisses before slowly attempting to lower him onto his own feet again, forcing Niall's arms to drop from around his neck as he pulled back, just a little bit so they could look at each other. "Shh, it's fine… I'm sorry it took me so long to come here, I had to think and… I didn't even know if you wanted me to, but I just couldn't stand it any longer."

"I-I… I-I'd a-always w-want you t-to… " Niall sniffed, attempting to dry his cheeks a little bit before Liam suddenly made it impossible by cupping his face in both of his hands, almost forcing Niall to look at him through teary eyes while his thumbs gently wiped underneath. 

"I know, babe, I'm really sorry… let's go home, okay?" He was attempting a smile, but it didn't look very happy, checking Niall's face for a little while longer before suddenly leaning in to kiss his forehead like he had done so many times before, keeping them there for a while and giving the younger boy tingles despite the inappropriateness of the situation. "You'll see, tomorrow everything will be fine again, as if we didn't even fight at all."

Hopefully that was true because Niall never ever wanted to have an argument with Liam again, he just nodded though, not protesting when the brunette man kept cupping his face for a bit longer and kept looking at him even if it did make Niall blush. Which was unnoticeable though because his whole face was red and wet and possibly swollen, so whatever, what really mattered was that Liam was touching him in the most gentle way possible. 

"Come on now, I'm gonna carry your bag. You need anything else other than that?" Since Niall hadn't unpacked anything, he just shook his head as soon as Liam had let go of him after another forehead kiss, feeling slightly anxious about having to part from Liam though while the other man picked up the bag from the floor, slinging it over his shoulder. "Come here."

As if Liam could read the younger boy's mind, he reached out with one arm to curl around Niall's shoulders, squeezing him gently but letting go right again when Niall had just been about to hug back. Only a little bit disappointed, the blonde boy was even more surprised when Liam grabbed a hold of his hand instead, not even loosely or anything, no, he _intertwined_ their fingers.

"This okay?" More than okay, but Niall was scared to use his voice so he just nodded silently, keeping his head down though, trying not to think too much about how Liam's palm and fingertips felt like against his skin. It's not like they had never held hands, but… never without a real purpose. "Alright, let's drive home, yeah? You look really tired."

"A bit… " Niall mumbled, having a hard time to even bring out a proper sound both because of his tight throat but also because of the skin on skin contact with Liam, or the general situation, he still couldn't believe this, maybe all of it was a dream and he was still lying in bed all by himself.

"Me too." Liam let out a sigh, squeezing Niall's hand tightly before leaning down to press a kiss on the top of his head, breathing out hotly against his scalp as he talked. "I have no idea what I'd do without you, babe… "

 

——————

 

The drive was very quiet, but not uncomfortable in any way. What stroke Niall the very most was how Liam never let go of his hand unless it was absolutely necessary, he was even holding it while driving, putting up the brightest smile in the world whenever their eyes would meet, sometimes talking about stuff, but never quite about the topic that Niall was craving to ask about. Probably wouldn't be a very good idea to just start, also because of his tight throat and all, plus the fact that he still couldn't believe that Liam was being so sweet to him. 

When they got back to Liam's apartment, the first thing the older man did after getting Niall's bag from the trunk was walk around the car just to intertwine their fingers again, pressing his lips to Niall's temple in a way that gave him shivers. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Liam not showing any affection towards him anymore, maybe they could just go back to how it had been after all.

"Okay… you wanna go to bed, Ni? We can talk there, okay? You just look so tired…" He was, but he was also quite shocked and sad so there was that, Niall was even more surprised that Liam made him go into his own room, as if… as if he was suggesting they still share a bed. "Wanna go shower?"

"N-No… I… I'll just, um… change… " It'd feel weird to do it now, even if Niall felt more than just relieved to be back here, it was almost like coming home for real, he had gotten so used to it that going back to his own flat had felt wrong, and scary and cold without Liam there to protect and cuddle him.

"Alright. I'll go outside meanwhile, yeah?" Liam smile was warm, soft, as he put Niall's bag down next to his closet, brushing the younger boy's arm as he turned to go, almost causing Niall to panic inside. He couldn't be alone, not now.

"L-Liam, I… p-please stay…?" Trying to prepare for a rejection, Niall felt relief spreading inside of him when the older boy smiled, despite the fact that he was a little bit nervous about it as well, having Liam there when he changed and all, it wasn't something he usually did, sure, Liam had seen him in just boxers, but… well. 

"Of course I can, babe, I won't watch." Apparently Liam knew of his slight fear because he immediately went to take his phone out as he sat on his side of the bed, or actually just his bed because Niall probably shouldn't have thought about his own side as well, it was slightly rude to do so.

So while Liam the brunette man was doing whatever, Niall had a hard time controlling his shaky breath, even if hope was building up once more in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't let himself get too happy, they hadn't even talked about anything at all. 

Opening the bag was a tad hard with shaky hands, but the blonde boy managed without much problems, nervousness pooling in his stomach as he undressed himself before putting on his usual sleeping clothes that always smelled a little bit like Liam. Maybe not the best thing to think about.

"Done?" When Liam asked, Niall had just awkwardly stopped in the middle of the room, not sure what to do now, unconsciously playing with the hem of his shirt while nodding slowly, internally praying that the older man was gonna offer him to sleep in his bed. And he did. "Okay, come on, you don't have to feel weird now, Ni, you can get into bed, yeah? Unless you don't want to of course."

Hell, there was nothing Niall wanted more, he didn't even answer, just walked around the bed to clumsily get onto the other side where the blanket from the other room already was, just like always, keeping the appropriate distance though before sitting up, waiting for Liam to close the door and come back, only leaving the bedside table light on. Again, just like they always did, it was their routine.

"Everything alright?" Liam didn't have to change because he had come pick Niall up in sweatpants and a shirt, different clothes than he had worn before obviously, which kinda told the younger boy that he had been trying to go to sleep but then hadn't managed to do it. That shouldn't have made Niall too happy just yet.

"Yeah…" Wasn't he always alright with Liam around? Niall leaned his head back against the wall, pulling the blanket a bit higher because he was slightly cold, not directly looking at the older man since he didn't want to blush too hard, well aware of the stare he got in return though.

"Okay… " And then before he continued, Liam suddenly reached over ever so slowly, his hand covering Niall's before the boy even knew what was happening, leaving him enough time to pull away if he had wanted to. But he didn't of course, feeling a few butterflies coming back alive in his tummy as Liam once more linked their fingers together. "So… I think you deserve a few answers."

Since of course Niall didn't really think that he deserved anything at all, he just stayed quiet, accidentally meeting Liam's eyes, feeling a bit hotter when the brunette man smiled in that special way, squeezing his hand gently. He was for sure about to tell Niall why they couldn't be together, but whatever the reason was, the blonde boy would be trying his hardest to not cry or do anything equally as stupid, it was fine, he just wanted to be allowed to stay… maybe get a cuddle once or twice. And the forehead kisses because they made him feel safer than anything else in the world ever had.

"First of all… the reasons that you think as to why I said no to… us, are not the ones you think." Not sure what to think of this, Niall just stayed quiet, there were a ton of other things he could think of, mostly ones that had something to do with himself personally, Liam was just gonna choose one. Probably a not so bad one, even if it was a lie, but he was just too nice to hurt anyone like this, even if he had to lie. "I… I told you that me and my… girlfriend weren't trying for kids, as I said, we were too young and… but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't have been happy, just… it's not that I desperately wanted to start a family right there, you know? We both had stable income and all, but… I was only 24 and she was only 22 and… well anyways, that's for sure not the reason. It doesn't matter that you're a boy, Niall, I've always been bi, also, there's things like adoption and all, you know?"

Of course Niall knew that, he just wasn't too sure of whether he should believe it. Suddenly he felt guilt building up again, mostly for having had such a shitty reaction to Liam loosing both his girlfriend and his baby, yet the younger boy had only been thinking about himself and his jealousy. "I-I know… but, Li, I… I'm sorry f-for… before when I… when I didn't s-say anything and just g-got mad, I… I'm sorry you l-lost h-her and y-your baby… I didn't mean t-to-"

"Nialler, shh, it's fine, yeah? Your reaction was very appropriate, don't worry about it, you didn't hurt me in any way at all, I promise." As if to make a point, Liam took a quick break, almost causing Niall's breath to hitch then as he brought their intertwined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss onto the younger boy's knuckles before dropping them again carefully, his smile still very prominent. "So to get back to it… the family thing is definitely not the reason. And the second thing that probably seems a lot worse and all… it's also not because I still love her."

"W-What?" But how could he have not? It's only been over a year! Niall almost forgot to avoid Liam's eyes at this, more than just confused, deep inside wondering whether the older man was just making this up. "But… but y-you w-wanted to marry her… "

"I said, I hadn't proposed yet, that we were gonna get married… not that I was so keen on doing it." There was a sigh that confused the hell out of the blonde boy, he didn't understand at all, he had been convinced that Liam still loved her, which would've made sense, but if he didn't then that would mean _Niall_ was the reason and that was even worse. "As I told you… our families got along brilliantly, we've known each other for years even before we started dating, she was living at my place, I… it seemed to be the appropriate thing to marry her, right?"

Well, it sounded like it would have been bound to happen, so Niall just nodded slowly, not feeling very comfortable about the topic though, it wasn't so nice talking about the person's marriage with someone else when you desperately wanted to be with them.

"That's what I thought too. Just… because of that, the family closeness and all, the fact that everyone was somehow expecting it, I… I would've felt guilty for not doing it. And I know that sounds really mean, I did love her, but… not enough to marry her. In the last year of us being together, we had a lot of fights, which is probably what Harry and Louis didn't tell you because they don't know, I never talked about it with anyone. But she did, with all of her friends and… I think it just got too much for me, she was always out partying alone, which is fine, you know, just… it just wasn't going so well anymore. I was about to quit my job, work as psychologist and consult the victims only to be home more, so we could work things out, you know? And of course I would have immediately done it so I'd be there for my child, but you know… I don't even think she would have wanted that. And then of course… there was this guy I'm still not sure whether she had an affair with or not, I could've looked into it, with the job I have and all, find his address and confront him. But I didn't, and I don't know why, maybe because I suddenly realized I didn't care or because it would have ruined everything… anyways, I thought that… that if she was pregnant, that it could somehow safe our relationship, I always wanted kids and… I thought she'd get more responsible if she was a mother, but well… I never found out. And I… I'm sorry I got so mad, it's just… I don't like talking about it because I never really have and I've been trying to… forget it, I guess? Which is no excuse at all, I shouldn't have snapped at you and I'm sorry." Oh.

Now that had not at all been what Niall had been expecting, he was staring at Liam now, his jaw almost dropped at this story, suddenly it didn't sound like the brunette was still in love with her at all anymore. And… who the hell would cheat on Liam? Or go partying while leaving him alone? "I… I'm so s-sorry, Li… I didn't k-know, I… "

"I know you didn't, babe, and it's perfectly fine, yeah? No need to feel sorry, there's nothing to apologize for, okay? All I'm trying to say is that… yes I would have married her and I was excited for the baby, but… due to circumstances, I'm not staying up all night crying over it now a year later. I did think it was murder, but… they never found anything, I guess it was just all getting to my head back then, I… was confused and sad of course and disappointed and everyone at the station knew about it, how insane I was for still thinking that it hadn't been an accident and I started locking it into the back of my head until now and you took me by surprised by asking and… well, anyways… I don't love her still, I would have stayed with her, but… my life goes on." So basically… he just didn't wanna be with Niall because he simply didn't want it, was that it?! "…. Ni, are you okay?"

"Um… " The blonde boy bit his tongue, feeling tears building up that he was trying to desperately hold back, dead on staring down onto the blanket now, not able to return the squeeze around his fingers. "W-What… what's t-the r-reason then?"

"Right, look… " There was the sigh again that couldn't mean anything good, yeah, Niall was glad that now he didn't have to be too overly jealous anymore, but… what if someone else came? "I just… with the job I have and all… I see a lot of things happening, I… it's not the safest job in the world, right? And I… I found out that it's easier to get by if I'm not committed to anyone, it scared the shit out of me, that one second my life was like this and suddenly I get a call saying my pregnant girlfriend died on the way to the hospital, I… I'm scared of losing you, or of not coming home anymore. And what if I can't protect you? What if one day someone wants to get revenge one me for whatever and… tries to hurt you? What if it WAS murder back then and it was my fault? I just… I couldn't handle knowing I'd be the reason something happens to you, I want you safe, more than anything else in the world. And I shouldn't have kissed you, it was stupid of me to… develop feelings for you with all of this, but… how could I have not? I haven't met anyone since her, and now there's you and… I just don't wanna lose you as well, I know how quickly things can go in life and I just… I want you safe, even if that means I can't be with you even if I want to."

"I… " Now Niall was really shocked, he had no idea what to answer to any of this, if that were the reasons then… hell, he didn't fucking care, he wanted to be with Liam so badly that it hurt. "I've n-never… felt as safe a-as with y-you… "

"Thank you, Ni, I just… I'm scared. You understand that, right? That it's not because of you or because I still love someone else or because I don't wanna be with you? I simply wanna keep you safe, I don't know how Harry and Louis do it every day, knowing the other could end up dead, I… I just don't want you to have to be scared again or get hurt." The butterflies in Niall's tummy had increased now, hearing Liam talking about liking him and having feelings for him was just… the best thing in the whole entire world. "And of course… you're only 18, you shouldn't put yourself in danger just to be with some 25 year old, you deserve so much better."

"I-I… " Well, the last thing had sounded fairly stupid because… of course Niall didn't care about Liam's age, in fact, he liked that he was mature and a lot taller than him and bigger and that he sometimes didn't shave and… anyways. "I'm n-not… putting myself in d-danger and I… I like you h-how you a-are… I don't c-care about the a-age difference, I j-just… I feel s-safe with y-you and… no one h-has e-ever been so nice t-to me, I… I just really w-wanna be with you… "

"I know, Nialler…" There was yet another sigh, not an annoyed one though, but Niall still felt really pathetic, he was just trying to make sure that Liam knew just how much he liked him, how much he wanted this and how he didn't care about age or about not being safe. Who could have kept him safer than Liam anyways? "I like you, I really do, I promise, this has nothing at all to do with my feelings, I wouldn't have kissed you if I hadn't really wanted to… "

"I… I've n-never kissed anyone b-before…" God, he really needed to stop stuttering, it was getting slightly embarrassing, the blonde boy's cheeks were about to get hot again, he tried really hard to take a somewhat normal breath, just so that he could at least talk more normally. "No one… ever liked me that much… "

"Then they're fucking dumb." Sure, Liam was trying to cheer him up, Niall knew that it wasn't true, people had their reasons for not liking him for even just as much as a friend, he also didn't know why Liam ever would, but… he had indeed kissed him. "I hope it wasn't too bad… the kiss I mean. Since it's been your first, I… I shouldn't have done it, I should have asked and I'm sorry."

"No, I… I'm glad it was you… someone I r-really like… and you waited and I… I wanted you to k-kiss me, so… it was a bit, um… short." Shrugging, his cheeks turned even redder as Liam let out a soft, unexpected chuckle, lightening the mood a little bit.

"You're so cute, I hope you're aware of that." Great, now there was no stopping the blushing, any compliment from Liam was like missing a step on the stairs. Before the fight and all, when Liam had told Niall that he looked handsome, the younger boy had almost died of a heart attack. "Niall, I… you wanna come here?"

"W-What?" Surprised, the younger boy looked up as Liam carefully let go of his hand, seeing a smile playing around his lips that he wasn't quite sure what to think of, like… what did he mean?

"Come here." Liam repeated, this time opening his arms a little bit, rearranging his seating position slightly until Niall understood that he was being offered a cuddle here. Well, they really did sit extremely far apart, normally they would also lie closer before going to sleep, and Liam would rub his back so Niall figured it'd be fine if he scooted over onto the older man's side.

What he hadn't expected though was the fact that Liam's hands immediately landed on his waist as Niall moved closer with a burning face, supporting him gently and then when the blonde boy expected it the very least, Liam suddenly fully pulled Niall onto his lap. His _lap_. "I… "

"That's better, right?" A ton better, all Niall managed to do was nod a few times, not being able to believe how nice it felt when Liam's arms wrapped around him like this, his aftershave filling Niall's nose, warmness and safety spreading in his whole body when the brunette man pressed his lips right up against the side of Niall's forehead. These butterflies were gonna kill him. "You have no idea how many times I've been wanting to do this."

"You… you d-did?" It's not that Niall had never thought about these kinda things, but hearing that Liam had been thinking the same was something else. He was smiling brightly now, evenly brushing hair out of Niall's face as they looked at each other, his other arm tightly around the younger boy's waist, as if he never intended to let him go again.

"Yeah. I've also been thinking about kissing you a few times before, I just… I knew I shouldn't have done it, but then we went on a date and… " Wait… 

"Date?" Niall was slightly confused, like sure, that would've made a damn good date, just… it hadn't been one, had it?

"Well… I kinda got the idea from Harry, because he's been taking Louis on a date tonight… kinda the same we've been on and yeah, I didn't call it a date, but… it would've been a nice one, wouldn't it?" Liam almost seemed like he would be the one to start blushing soon, but he was a lot tanner than Niall so it was hard to tell, all the younger boy knew was that he absolutely loved the way Liam had gotten the idea for their… whatever it had been. "Anyways, I… I still think we should do this more often… if you want to."

"I do… " Was that a serious question, Niall would go on a hundred dates with Liam even that's not what they would call it, which didn't matter because they both knew deep down. "I… I've never been on a date before."

For a moment, Liam hesitated at hearing this, his fingers gently pulling on Niall's hair, not enough to hurt him of course, it felt really good actually. "So… have you ever like… been in a relationship before? Or… you know, anything of that sort?"

"No… I mean… I had a few, uh… crushes on people, but they… they definitely didn't know and… if I would have compared it to this, I… I wouldn't have wanted any of them to, uh… kiss me or so because I… I've never, well… been in love before… " Had that been too much now? But Liam did know how much Niall liked him, it was fine if he used the L-word right? He WAS in love with Liam, Niall had never felt anything like this for anyone, he really meant it, even if it was embarrassing to admit.

Unfortunately, Liam took his time to react to that, he seemed to be really surprised, his arm still tight around Niall's waist though, hand having stopped and just cupping the back of the younger boy's neck now, looking at him until Niall had to lower his eyes, flushing a bit. Maybe he should have kept that to himself. "You're in love with me?"

It sounded surprised if anything, not mad or so like Niall would have expected, he wasn't trusting his voice enough to answer though so he just nodded a bit, relieved that Liam hadn't pushed him off his lap yet, maybe if he just shut his mouth everything would be fine.

For a few seconds, it seemed as if Niall had ruined everything now, he was about to tear up and apologize when Liam's arm around him suddenly tightened, his hand leaving the back of the boy's neck, instead cupping his cheek, ever so gently rubbing his thumb over the skin, voice surprisingly soft and quiet. "Hey… look at me."

Niall almost wanted to refused, but he did look up then, his breath hitching a little bit when he realized how close they were, almost able to feel the older boy's breath on his face. What was he doing?

"Do you wanna… have a real first kiss?" Oh god, was he really asking to kiss Niall _again_?!

"B-But… I t-though you d-didn't want to um… b-be with me…" Kissing Liam again would be so nice, Niall's stomach was already erupting in butterflies at just the thought, his fingers twisting into the older boy's shirt without noticing, the smile he got giving him chills.

"Screw that." And before Niall could understand what that was supposed to mean, before he could even properly check Liam's face or figure it out, the older man had gotten rid of those last few centimeters, his lips on top of the younger boy's before he had even had time to close his eyes.

Of course it was a shock at first, but Niall found himself relaxing after the first few seconds, returning the pressure a little bit but not quite knowing what to do now except for fisting Liam's shirt and trying to suppress a very embarrassing whimper.

It felt so nice to have Liam's mouth on top of his, soft and warm, feeling his arm pressing around his waist and his hand still gently cupping his face, not doing much at all yet enough for Niall to feel his stomach doing gymnastics and his lips tingling in the best way possible. He never wanted to ever stop kissing Liam.

They didn't do anything else though, luckily not kissing with tongue because Niall was pretty sure he would have been extremely bad at that, Liam moved his lips a bit, but he was being careful and very concerned about not going too far, which was really nice because he surely had a lot more experience yet he still held back for Niall and it caused the younger boy to fall for him even more if any possible.

When Liam finally pulled back a little bit, rubbing his nose against Niall's before suddenly chuckling right against his lips, the blonde boy couldn't help but smile a tiny bit, this had been so nice and if Liam had liked it then what else would he have wanted?! "Was that long enough?"

"Yeah…" Just to not be mean, Niall wondered whether Liam would have kissed him for longer had he said no, however he barely had any time to really consider it because right after it was out, Liam had pecked his lips yet again.

"You're so damn cute… " He mumbled right against Niall's mouth, giving him a hard time to keep on breathing when Liam just continued to place kisses, into the corner of his mouth, his cheek, his nose, his temple, his forehead, anywhere he could reach really, all while holding Niall impossibly close and making him wonder whether he had gone to heaven or something. That was Liam peppering his face with kisses, _Liam_. "I know that I shouldn't and I know that this bad but I… I really wanna try this."

"Try… what?" No one could blame Niall for being so breathless really, Liam just smiled brightly before kissing his lips yet again, very short, but very sweet, leaving the younger boy red faced as he tried to mentally keep track of how many times they had kissed up to now. 

"Us." Was all Liam said, as if it was obvious, almost giving Niall a stroke, his heart beating ten times faster as it sunk that the older boy was seriously considering this, that he really wanted to be with Niall as well and… oh god.

"You… you mean like, you… you'll be my b-boyfriend?" Just to make sure really, Niall barely even brought the word over his lips, he was aware that he was holding way too desperately onto Liam's shirt but he just couldn't help himself, this was everything he wanted, just Liam and nothing else in the world.

"Yeah. You wanna be my boyfriend too, Nialler?" Liam was in such a good mood suddenly, it was amazing, but not quite where Niall's attention was at the most, he first of all needed to progress this like… Liam fucking Payne had just asked him to be his boyfriend even though Niall was probably shit at kissing and shy and he always blushed over the dumbest things, but… Liam had still asked, he still had feelings for Niall, despite all of his flaws.

"Yes… " Was all he brought out, barely audible, but it caused Liam's smile to widen if any possible, almost bringing tears to Niall's eyes because of how happy he was that the older man had decided to give it a shot, that he gave Niall a chance. 

"Good, because that means I get to kiss you now whenever I want." Before any of this came through to Niall, Liam had already tilted his head to press their lips back together, still very gentle but with a bit more pressure, his were slightly parted, letting Niall feel his hot breath against his skin. Really, no one could have blamed him for bringing a hand up to Liam's neck for support, he was definitely all for the idea of getting kissed whenever Liam felt like it.

To think that Niall had never been this close to anyone before today and now he had a _boyfriend_ was more than just mind blowing to him. He had already given up on ever finding anybody who might have liked him, not even dreaming about finding someone as amazing as Liam, like, what were the chances, right? He probably didn't even deserve someone as perfect as him.

Maybe his emotions took a bit overhand, it was just too much at once and Niall wasn't able to hold back these few tears from spilling when they pulled apart, a bit short of breath, Liam's voice sounding as if he was about to panic. "Wh- did I hurt you, baby? I'm sorry, I didn't want to do anything you don't want, please tell me what's wrong, Nialler, why are you crying?"

"I-I just… " God this was more than embarrassing, Liam was wiping his tears, eyes full of worries as Niall sniffed, trying to find his voice again to carry on and at the same time trying not to start giggling like a fucking idiot, it's just… how could he have gotten so lucky? Was this even real? "I'm j-just… really h-happy… "

"Oh… " Liam hesitated for a moment before his smile came back, even brighter than before, pressing a gentle kiss onto the boy's noise, the back of his fingers brushing over Niall's cheek. "I'm really happy too, babe, okay? We just have to… take it slowly, yeah? I don't wanna rush you or anything and if you ever feel uncomfortable you have to tell me and I'm gonna stop immediately, I'd never wanna do anything you don't want and… I just want you safe, and… I don't want to hurt you and I don't wanna have to stay away, I really wanna be with you, but if you ever decide you don't want to anymore, you gotta tell me and-"

"I w-won't." Niall interrupted, because if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that. His tears still hadn't really stopped, which wasn't as bad though as the annoying hiccup he had suddenly gotten, even if that made Liam smile really sweetly at him, hugging him close to his chest.

"Okay… come here, baby." If Liam would continue to call him that then Niall's chances of ever stopping crying were very slim, he did snuggle his head between the older man's shoulder and neck though, Liam's hand shielding the side of his face, thumb brushing over his cheekbone while his free arm moved from Niall's waist only to pull the blanket over the both of them. "You okay? Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah… thank y-you… " More than just being warm, Niall felt comfortable all around now, in Liam's lap, being held by the older boy, having him stroke his cheek while Niall was just snuggling into him, breathing in his familiar scent, his heart slowing down again to a normal pace.

"Anything for you… " Liam mumbled, resting his cheek against Niall's head then as he kept the stroking up, his arm never getting any loser either, just holding him like this while the younger boy couldn't believe his luck. This surely was the best moment of his whole entire life, no question. 

They stayed like this for a while, Niall found himself getting sleepier by the second, half lying on Liam's lap was just so nice and comforting compared to what had happened before, the fact that this night had turned out so amazing made it even better. Tomorrow morning the blonde boy would probably have doubts and get scared about doing anything wrong, but for tonight he was simply too tired to worry a lot anymore. 

"Ni? Are you still awake?" Liam's voice was quiet, as to not wake him if he had in fact been asleep, Niall's eyes were indeed closed but he managed something like a 'Mhm', feeling the vibrations going through Liam's body as he chuckled softly. "You should definitely go to sleep, babe, you won't even have to move, yeah? I like having you so close… do I get a goodnight kiss or are you too sleepy to lift your head?"

Well, Niall was extremely sleepy, but he did lift his head for Liam, rubbing at his left eye, needing a second to be able to clearly see the brunette man's smile before their lips were already on top of each other, warm and soft. It only lasted for a second, but since Niall had never gotten a goodnight kiss before, he was more than happy with it and the tingles it caused him.

"Okay, put your head back down, you look like you're gonna pass out." Gently, Liam pulled Niall's head back against his shoulder and the younger boy complied immediately, not minding at all when Liam pulled the blanket up even higher before his hand found its way into the blonde hair. "Goodnight, Ni, sleep tight, babe, I'll keep you safe and I won't let go, promise."

Maybe it was the sleepiness or something, but Niall really did feel like lifting his head had drained all of his strength from him, he curled a hand around Liam's shirt underneath the blanket, half passed out already when he mumbled against the older man's bare neck, of course not considering consequences in any way. "Night… love you… "

Either Niall had already fallen asleep and had been hallucinating this, but when he though back to that moment, he was about 99% sure that Liam pressed a kiss into his hair after that, his breath hot against the boy's scalp. "Love you too, baby boy… "


	9. Chapter 9

When Liam woke up, he almost panicked for a minute thinking he was alone, that he had fallen asleep in between all of his worrying and attempts to suppress his stupid tears for not having been able to stop Niall from leaving. 

But then he heard the tiny sigh from the other side of the bed and though they had somehow managed to get distance between them while being asleep, Niall was right there next to him, on his stomach, blanket half kicked off, his lips a little bit parted as he made another noise, face turned towards Liam, the fact that he hadn't shut the blinds last night allowing him a really good sight at the boy.

He looked like an angel sleeping like this, but Liam resisted reaching out for him for a second, just watching him, listening to his even breathing, the tiny noises that sometimes escaped him whenever he slept. Liam knew them all too well, he had watched Niall sleeping countless times since the boy would always pass out before him, just like last night, for the first time in his lap, leaving Liam awake for more than just an hour while just watching him, feeling more than at peace.

When Niall had left last night, Liam had been lost for the next few hours, he had tried to leave the boy some space after having begged him to stay so they could talk, but he simply hadn't managed to anymore after a few hours of constantly having to tear up. Of course he knew that he shouldn't have kissed Niall again, asked him to be his _boyfriend_ , but… after looking into the blonde boy's face again, having him telling Liam that he was _in love_ with him, Liam had just buckled in.

He felt guilty for it, yeah, he hadn't been with anyone ever since his girlfriend had died, hadn't ever thought he would even feel the urge to be in a relationship anymore, but Niall had changed all of that. It's just… it got Liam more than worried.

There was no doubt inside of him that he really did wanna be with the blonde boy, that he wanted to make him happy, take him on dates and kiss him, hold him close, but Liam was also aware of how dangerous all of this was for Niall. How if anything ever happened would leave Liam feeling guilty for the rest of his life, just like it had with his girlfriend.

Of course the brunette man knew that they had investigated all of this, that they hadn't found anything about it being anything other than having been an accident, however he couldn't help thinking sometimes that it had been. And if that was true, the only solution would've been that it had been because of Liam, maybe some case he had had, someone he had upset and who had wanted revenge. What if that would happen again, with Niall?

It had been different with his girlfriend, Liam had loved her of course, despite the difficulties, had been hoping to rebuild their relationship once they had the baby, but… he wasn't so sure anymore now that he was so far away from it. At least that would explain why he had gotten back into his old life quicker than someone else would have.

Yeah, he had been grieving, had been depressed, even needed time off of work, but then Liam had forced himself to get back on track, locked it into the back of his head, sworn to himself he wasn't gonna bring this up again, so naturally… he had been mad at Louis and Harry for having told Niall, and too shocked at being confronted with it last night. It made sense that Niall had gotten the wrong idea from his reaction.

Still, ever since Liam had realized his feelings for Niall that he had been trying so hard to suppress, all of the old memories had come back, how it had felt to lose the one person he had been committed to. It had been the most awful thing Liam had ever had to experience and he had no idea how to survive if it'd happen again with this sweet boy. 

Liam had tried, to stay away, not get emotionally involved like he always tried to do with people, but it hadn't worked and now it had come to this. What was the point in telling Niall that they couldn't be together, if they both wanted it? If Liam already liked him this much, if he knew he was the only person in the younger boy's life that was really there for him, if they _lived_ here together, there was not much point in keeping any more distance.

Besides, if it made Niall happy, then that was all Liam needed to ease his guilt, he couldn't keep away from him, not if they lived here together and if they were already sometimes behaving like a couple. Liam needed to protect him at any cost, if there was anything he couldn't lose in this world, it was definitely Niall.

Slowly scooting over to where the blonde boy was lying, Liam felt a smile forming on his lips while watching him, ever so carefully untangling the blanket to pull it back over Niall's skinny frame, knowing exactly how easily he always started to freeze in his sleep. 

He was so happy about how this had turned out, yeah he felt guilty too and the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach was still there, but… Niall was his bloody boyfriend and Liam would get to kiss him good morning once he woke up. Right now, there was nothing else he could have wished for.

Leaning over him, Liam pressed his lips onto the boy's shoulder blade over his shirt, rubbing a hand over his back, gently, not being able to resist then and kissing Niall's cheek too, it wasn't his fault like, the boy just overall looked so kiss and huggable, who would've been able to keep away from him? "Hmm… "

"Are you waking up, baby?" Whispering, Liam placed another kiss onto Niall's cheek, barely even moving his lips away to speak, feeling himself smile over the fact that he was allowed to call the boy whatever he wanted now.

"Li… ?" His voice was groggy, eyes still closed, but he did stir a tiny bit, not much though since Liam was half leaning over him, still having his face close to the younger boy's, not being able to resist but placing a few more kisses up to his ear. 

"Yeah, I'm here, Ni… you awake?" He had sounded rather sleepy, Liam moved his arm now to tangle his fingers into the blonde hair instead, brushing through gently while lifting his head to get a proper look at Niall, smiling when he saw the boy's eyes flattering open slowly. "Good morning, babe… "

"Hmmm … morning… " When he was trying to turn, Liam let go a little bit, arm still draped over Niall's waist though when the boy moved to his back, watching as he let out a tiny yaw, rubbing both of his eyes with his knuckles, obviously still half asleep for a bit because otherwise he would have surely already blushed.

"How'd you sleep?" Ever since the nightmares had stopped, it had become one of Liam's habits to ask this, not for fun but because he was truly concerned, stroking Niall's arm lightly once the boy had stopped rubbing his eyes, he seemed to be more than tired as he stared up at Liam, a light pink tainting his cheeks. 

"Good… you?" Niall would usually ask back, as if he was just as concerned about Liam's well being, never failing to make the older man smile, a little brighter today when he brushed the back of his finger's over the younger boy's cheek, almost being able to feel it getting hotter.

"Better than I ever have." It was only half a joke but Liam couldn't help but chuckle when Niall turned even redder, looking down from staring up into Liam's eyes, fingers resting against the older man's arm still around his stomach, obviously not expecting Liam leaning down once more to softly peck his lips. God, how many fucking times had he wanted to do that? "Hmm… I could get used to that."

"M-Me too… " Of course Niall's face was on fire now, it was so cute that Liam didn't think about it when he kissed him once more, softly, a little but longer than before, smile getting wider once he pulled away, usual tingles in his stomach. "I… I-I almost thought it… it's been a d-dream…"

"No, it wasn't, Nialler, promise." And then just because, Liam decided to carry on while stroking the boy's cheek, loving how hot his cheeks were underneath the older man's fingertips. He was never gonna get over the blushing, was he? "You were so cute last night, when you fell asleep in my lap."

"Oh… " Was all he made, quickly looking away while Liam let out a chuckle like he had the whole morning already, his mood too good to feel anything besides warmth and happiness settling in his stomach. This boy belonged to only him and no one else. "Stop it, Li… "

"Sorry, baby, I just like to make you blush, it's the sweetest thing in the world." Which was more than true, in fact, there was even more heat streaming into Niall's face now, while the boy was pretending to pout, clearly embarrassed about his body reacting this way to whatever Liam said or did. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast, it's really late already."

Before Niall had enough time to answer, Liam had smacked another kiss onto his soft lips, smirking when he let go of the boy to finally fully sit up, not hesitating to climb over him and out of bed onto his feet. "How late?"

Clearly, Niall was trying to change the topic now, he did take Liam's hand though when the older man was reaching out for him in order to carefully pull him up fairly easily since he was so light anyways. "Like 1 pm or something, but we've gone to bed rather late and its saturday, we're fine." 

"I… thank you again, f-for… for coming to my flat, you know…" Why was he thanking Liam for that, seriously? It got the older man confused for a second, still holding Niall's hand in his while the younger boy stared onto the floor, face not having cooled down just yet.

"Don't thank me for that, Nialler. Why wouldn't I have come? You mean the absolute world to me, I couldn't have just let you go, and I never will, you're too important, you know that." Way more important than anything else in Liam's life, but he didn't say that, softly squeezing Niall's fingers before letting go just to cup the boy's face instead, waiting for him to shyly look up. "And I also meant everything I said, especially the part about you fully moving in with me. I'd let you, just so you know."

"I… t-thank you, I… " He was only 18, Liam understood that it was a hard decision, also that maybe he was taking things a bit too far too soon, but he was being honest, he really did want Niall to move in with him, for real, but he also wouldn't be mad if he needed time to think about it.

"It's okay, babe, take your time, yeah? I told you we won't ever rush things and you gotta tell me if you do feel uncomfortable at some point, okay? I'd never want you to be." Pressing a kiss to his forehead, the brunette man closed his eyes for a moment before his lips curled into a smile as an idea was building up in his head. Not his fault he was in such a silly and happy mood today, it was hard not to be. "Come on now, I'm really hungry."

"Me t- LIAM!" There was a quite unexpected shriek when Liam simply picked Niall up to carry him over his shoulder, securely holding his legs so the boy wouldn't fall while his head was upside down, laughing when he heard Niall letting out a gasp. "Let me down!"

"Nope." He wasn't really trying to be put down, not moving his legs like he could have, but he did hit Liam's lower back softly, not enough to hurt him though. Of course not, he was too sweet to ever do something like this. "I'm just sparing you the long walk to the kitchen, Ni."

"It's only a few meters!" Very true, but Liam was having too much fun with this as to simply put the younger boy down, making sure he was safe though as he left the room, still holding his legs while Niall huffed, not moving too much though, probably also because he was scared of falling. As if Liam would have ever allowed anything to happen to him. 

"But you're just the perfect size to carry around." And also to sit in Liam's lap, plus he was snuggly too and he always seemed to literally melt into the older boy whenever they cuddled, very obviously enjoying it as well. 

"That's no excuse… " Niall grumbled, making Liam laugh once more while entering the kitchen, very slowly and carefully attempting to put the boy back onto his feet, grinning when he saw how red his face had gotten from being upside down, not complaining though when Liam briefly kissed his temple, even though his arms were crossed over his chest.

"You're so cute when you're pretending to be mad at me." Then again, when was he not cute?

"I'm not pretending, Li." But he was, it was clear to see when the corner of his mouth twitched as Liam gently poked his side, immediately having Niall backing away, probably in fear of getting tickled. That actually sounded like a really good idea, seeing as his giggles were Liam's favorite thing in the world. "Anyways… I… should we have breakfast now?"

"Sure, babes. What'd you wanna eat?" Obviously, Niall was trying to switch the topic now and Liam decided that he probably needed to stop making him blush for a little bit now, after all, he didn't want to seriously upset the boy, he was just feeling slightly hyper today. Not quite how he usually behaved like, but then again, he had also never felt so happy after waking up and seeing the younger boy sleeping peacefully next to him. To think that he'd always get to do that now without having to hold back whenever he wanted to kiss or cuddle him was literally mind blowing to think about. 

They settled for simply eating some cereal, neither of them very motivated to wait until they had cooked something or so, which was fine though, Liam didn't mind at all, this was gonna be the best breakfast either nevertheless.

Having Niall around now was different, whenever they would somehow touch Liam, always felt the biggest urge to just grab and kiss him or hold his hand just because he could. When Niall had to go onto his tiptoes to reach the glasses in the top counter, the brunette man couldn't even help himself but going over to wrap his arms around Niall's stomach from behind, feeling him freeze for a moment before leaning back against him, very obviously not minding the kisses the older man placed up his cheek.

Since it was saturday and all and they had all the time in the world, Liam suggested they take their breakfast to the living room to sit on the couch, just because that meant they could be a lot closer… possibly cuddle a little bit, as if they hadn't already done enough of that. Liam would never grow tired of it.

"What should we do today?" Liam was literally okay with anything, nothing to ask for now that he had Niall leaning into his side, their arms brushing, the younger boy's mouth full with milk and cereal as he shrugged a bit, face color having gone back to normal by now.

Niall took some time to swallow, obviously thinking about it, his legs pulled up on the couch, knees leaned against Liam's thigh, barely being able to be any closer to him than he already was. "Hmm… I don't know… we don't have to do anything… I like when we do nothing."

"Yeah, me too… let's just stay here then, I'm okay with that." More than that, Liam watched Niall eating for a moment, even that making him smile before he kissed the side of his head, almost feeling a lack from not having kissed his lips in what seemed like forever, suddenly remembering something from last night that had gotten him a bit lost in thoughts after Niall had fallen asleep. "So… I don't know if you remember that or if you were too tired, but… you know last night, shortly before you fell asleep, you… you kinda said something… "

It took a bit before Niall noticeably froze against the older man, probably embarrassed now even if there was no reason to be because Liam had brought this up for a purpose, which definitely was not to make Niall feel uncomfortable. "Oh… y-yeah…. I remember… "

"I was just wondering if…. if you meant that, you know." Trying to keep it casual, Liam was hoping that the younger boy didn't notice how genuinely curious he was, his stomach already twisting into knots at the thought of Niall maybe not really having meant it, like… maybe he had just been too tired to clearly think.

"I… " There was like a minute or so of none of them talking or barely even moving, getting the brunette man slightly nervous while stirring in his cereal, almost regretting the fact that he had asked when he heard Niall barely even whispering. "I did mean it… "

Immediately after it was out, there was warmth spreading in Liam's body, the smile finding its way back onto his lips all by itself, this was just so cute and it made him so damn happy, he didn't fucking care that maybe this was too soon or whatever, he had told Niall last night as well, but he was gladly gonna repeat it now. Just so he could be sure that the younger really new it. "That's really good, because… I love you too."

Niall's neck almost snapped at this as he turned his head to stare at Liam, cheeks pink again, but he also looked really surprised, as if he hadn't expected this to ever come out of the brunette man's voice, as if he wasn't aware how much Liam actually liked him.

When he was about to say something to Niall, softly moving that blonde strand of hair out if his forehead, about to tell the younger boy that it was fine and that there was no need to be embarrassed now, when suddenly, he got a bit taken off track.

Liam hadn't expected Niall to just lean in a bit more and kiss him, just because the younger boy hadn't initiated any kisses so far, so when he did, even if it was only for a little while and his face was bright red afterwards, Liam felt like his heart could've exploded from happiness. He was so in love with this boy, it was fucking ridiculous.

"Um… should we…. watch some TV?" Was Niall's only comment to that, very obviously trying to change the topic now, act as if nothing had happened, so Liam bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't laugh after agreeing, carefully placing his cereal bowl onto the coffee table to drop his arm around the younger boy's shoulders, squeezing him gently.

Honestly, when Niall dropped his head onto his shoulder after a while and snuggled even closer, starting to ramble on about the TV show he had turned on, Liam was pretty sure he never ever wanted this moment to end.

 

——————

 

Like planned, they didn't do anything for the whole day long and honestly, the time still passed by faster than Liam would have liked. He didn't want it to become sunday because that'd mean they'd have to get up early on monday and not be able to see each other for a whole day long, which, now that things had evolved like this and all, seemed to be even more torture than it had already been before.

Niall stopped blushing too extremely much after every kiss and touch, but he still got quite red which was absolutely adorable, something Liam actually hoped he was never gonna fully lose. It just was so nice to see how much his touches affected the younger boy and they hadn't even gone far or anything, had done nothing except for cuddling and kissing without deepening anything.

So really, the furthest it went was Liam lying on his back on the couch, with Niall on top of him, his head snuggled into the crook of the older man's neck, Liam's fingers carding through the blonde hair tickling his skin, his other hand slowly rubbing over Niall's back. It was kinda late already and they were both tired despite the fact that they had slept in and done nothing except for watching TV, still were actually, but maybe it was because they were both so comfortable that they were getting closer to passing out like this. Liam wouldn't have minded.

"Li…?" Niall's voice sounded sleepy and quiet, he was obviously relaxed while fully lying on top of Liam, with the brunette man's hands all over him. And it was so nice really, with their chests pressed together like this, feeling Niall breathing against him, evenly and calming. 

"Yeah?" Liam blinked his eyes open again at this, he hadn't been watching the TV anymore since a while already, just focusing on Niall for a bit, trying his hardest to stay awake.

"You still watching….?" It sounded quite like Niall wasn't watching anymore either although he had his head turned into the right direction, his arm tucked up close to his body, trying to snuggle closer into Liam though that was pretty much impossible.

"Hmm… not really, you?" Judging by his voice and all, it seemed quite like the TV was on for nothing at all, maybe to lull them to sleep or something though Liam was desperately trying to stay awake, kissing the top of Niall's head now to have something to do, letting his lips rest there for a moment.

"No… not anymore… " Then he let a tiny yaw escape that made Liam smile, stopping his hand from rubbing over the boy's back to just wrap it around his waist instead and keep him close, loving the way he could feel Niall everywhere, even their legs being tangled up. "I don't wanna get up though… "

"Well, we don't have to." Honestly, at this point, Liam considered whether they should have just keeping on lying here, just stayed like this until both of them would get too tired to keep their eyes open. It honestly didn't seem like a bad idea at all. "Are you cold? I can reach the blanket if you want."

"Okay… " He sounded so cute and sleepy, his cheek warm against Liam's throat, puffs of air sometimes hitting the brunette man's bare skin.

"Alright, one second." The blanket had been thrown over the back of the couch ever since Niall had started living here, since he always got cold when they were watching movies, but Liam still had a bit of a hard time reaching it with just one hand and spreading it out over them, keeping his second one buried in the blonde boy's hair. "Okay… here we go. Better?"

"Yeah, a lot… " Niall sounded more than relaxed now, Liam was pretty sure the boy's eyes were closed while he tried to rearrange the blanket properly, making sure they were both fully tucked in and all. Now they would definitely not get up anymore. "You're really comfortable, Li… "

"I'm glad I am." Chuckling softly, Liam started brushing his fingers through Niall's soft hair again, thumbing at his ear gently and then going over to caressing his cheek, barely even thinking about it when his second hand slipped underneath the boy's shirt underneath the blanket. Of course Liam didn't do anything, he just let it rest there against his warm skin, not getting any negative reaction from the younger boy. "It's okay if you sleep in, Nialler."

"I won't…" Exactly what he always said, Liam just closed his eyes again, very well knowing that Niall's heavy voice was just the beginning of him drifting off, which was fine though, it was warm underneath their cocoon they had created and the boy obviously enjoyed Liam's gentle touches, trying to press himself closer every few minutes. 

Maybe they would have actually slept in like this, the TV quietly running on in the background, Liam not even noticing his fingers caressing Niall's cheek anymore because he had been doing it for so long. Unfortunately though, his phone going off and breaking through the silence put a very quick end to their snuggle session.

"Shit… I'm sorry… " Liam muttered, contemplating whether he should even pick up before realizing that it maybe was his boss, so he was internally praying that he wouldn't have to leave now as he pulled his hand out from underneath Niall's shirt, trying to reach his pockets then while the blonde boy let out a tiny sigh. 

"It's okay… " He mumbled somewhere into Liam's neck, obviously thinking the same thing as Liam, maybe even being a little bit scared that the older man would have to leave and Liam's stomach was twisting into uncomfortable knots at the thought.

Nervously bringing his phone up to his face to look at the display, Liam left his hand stroking Niall's cheek gently, immediately feeling a rush of relief when he saw the caller ID. "It's just my mum… I'll make it quick, yeah? …. Hi, mum."

"Liam, honey, how are you?" It wasn't that rare that she called, but Liam definitely had less contact with his family than he had had a year ago, it's just… he was really busy and all, plus he often forgot to call and all that stuff, kinda feeling a bit disconnected because of the distance and the fact that his own life was consuming him more than just enough.

"I'm fine, mum. How are you and dad?" It was slightly weird, to be lying here like this with his boyfriend on top of him that his family had no single idea about, but Liam would tell them eventually, just not when they had only been dating for literally one day. 

"We're gone, thank you for asking, Li. So, how's work and everything, how are Louis and Harry?" Of course she knew them, she also knew Zayn however they hadn't really met so it made sense that she only asked about the other two. Especially after Liam had invited them to dinner with his family once when they had all come to visit. So naturally, they had gotten along brilliantly, simply because everyone got along with them, even Niall.

"Everything's fine really… Harry and Louis are doing good, the usual, you know." His mum laughed, probably knowing what Liam meant with that, things he couldn't really and also didn't want to say out loud. "Is there are a reason you called or did you just wanna talk?"

"Well, I always love talking to you, honey, you know that." Yeah, well, maybe that wasn't the perfect moment right now, even though Niall was lying all still and relaxed on top of Liam, the brunette man would have still rather focused on him than anything else. "But I did call to make sure you didn't forget, since you haven't called in a while and all."

"Wait… what have I forgotten?" Was there something Liam should have known? He started feeling slightly uncomfortable, especially when his mum let out a rather heavy sigh, obviously slightly upset now.

"Liam, tell me you are joking, please." Shit, what had he forgotten?! Couldn't be THAT important, right? "I'm assuming Harry and Louis have forgotten as well then, amazing."

"What…. what are you talking about, mum?" Literally nothing would come to Liam's mind, he would have known if it was something important, his hand having frozen in the younger boy's hair as he tried to remember.

"Your sister's wedding? Next weekend?" Oh shit.

"Oh… " Fuck. Liam had known about it for over two months, but he had just forgotten it over everything going on, with Niall and all that and… hell he couldn't go onto a three hour drive now and leave the boy all alone here for a whole bloody weekend! He… he would have to take him. Or not go. "I'm sorry I forgot, I… was busy and… "

"I know, Li, that's why I called to remind you." There was another sigh and Liam felt terrible about it now, hell, he couldn't NOT go, it's not like he didn't get along with both his sisters because he did, which made all of this even more complicated. "So, when are you coming? And please remind Harry and Louis as well, or tell me if they don't come, we gotta make arrangements, you know?"

"I know, I… I'll text Harry right after this, just, uh… I don't know… friday night?" Liam could feel Niall moving a bit now, he probably couldn't hear anything through the phone but he was probably still wondering what was going on. 

"Okay, good. Is it alright if you stay in your old bedroom? You can also get a hotel if you want. And also, are you gonna bring someone?" She asked out of routine probably because she had asked all guests, just to make sure, but it caused Liam to hesitate for a moment.

He couldn't just decide for Niall without asking him, but… he wouldn't survive leaving the boy alone here and he also knew that Niall would probably not survive it himself, besides… well, Liam would have to tell his family at some point, right? "Um… yes, I am."

"Oh." For a second, Liam thought he was gonna get the usual questions, he had kinda forgotten how all of this worked since the last time he had introduced someone he had been in a relationship with had been years ago and they all already known her. But this… was different. "Well, I'm looking forward to meeting them then. See you friday night?"

"Yeah, I… see you soon, mum." Shit.

"What's the, um… matter?" Niall asked as soon as Liam had put the phone down with a sigh, the blonde boy moving to sit up now so that he was straddling Liam's stomach, the blanket falling down around his lap, his hair messed up, eyes half closed before he rubbed at them. 

"Well… my mum just reminded me of something… " Since Liam had no idea how to start this, he softly placed his hands on the boy's hips, feeling slightly nervous about telling him, or asking him to come, because well… how exactly was he gonna make sure Niall would be comfortable? He didn't like meeting new people and he was shy and maybe that's why Liam blurted out with the dumbest thing first. "Do you… have a suit?"

"Um… yes?" Cocking his head a bit, Niall looked even cuter than he already did all the time, it almost made Liam smile for a second as he softly squeezed the boy's hips a bit, taking a quick breath and preparing for the younger boy's face to fall at an instant once he had said it out loud.

"I kinda, um… forgot that my sister is getting married next weekend and my family lives three hours away so I wanted to ask if… you wanna come with me." There, now it was out, Liam felt slightly relieved but not so much anymore when Niall looked down immediately, his cheeks turning slightly red as he nervously played with his fingers.

"And… and meet your, uh… family?" Right, that was the main problem here, they were dating since one day and maybe this wouldn't be the perfect scenario to introduce Niall to everyone, however… what was Liam supposed to do? 

"Yeah. Trust me, I really don't wanna go there, but… it's my sister and… I don't wanna go without you. I'd understand if you wanna stay here though, just… I'd feel better if you came with me." Not to make him feel like he had to say yes or anything, however Liam was also very well aware that Niall wouldn't wanna be alone, plus he would probably die from worry and also from missing the boy so damn much. "It'd be fine, I promise, my parents would love you." 

"But…. won't they find it weird that I… that I'm 7 years younger and… and we'll only be together since a week by then… " True. Then again though, who cared, they had been in love with each other for longer than that, Liam had just been a coward and he had still been trying to be responsible back then. 

"Who cares? Maybe they'll find it weird for a second but not anymore after they get to know you. There's no need to be nervous, Nialler, it's a wedding, the attention won't be on us anyways. And Harry and Louis are coming too." They better did, even if they probably didn't remember anymore either, Liam still had to text them but he kinda got distracted by the fact that Niall's face suddenly got a bit paler. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Um… Harry and Louis don't know either that we… " Moving a hand in between them, Liam suddenly understood, going quiet for a second, because yeah, he hadn't really thought about that either. "They… they were making jokes about, um… about me crushing on you and all… when I met them, you know… "

"Yeah… they've been pulling the same jokes on me, I… I guess at least they won't be surprised then." Which wouldn't save them from the jokes or anything, it's not like Liam cared what anyone thought about their relationship anyways, but he knew very well that Niall saw it differently. "It'll be fine, Ni, I promise, okay? It'll be fun, we can sleep in my old bedroom and I'll show you around, everyone will be busy with the wedding anyways, it won't be like a big family gathering or anything. My sister has tons of friends who are gonna come as well, not even I know them all, there's nothing to worry about, okay? I just… I don't wanna go without you." 

"Y-Yeah, I… I don't wanna stay here either, I'm j-just… nervous… " He was biting his bottom lip now, still not meeting Liam's eyes though, clearly having an inner conflict that both of them knew what it was gonna end like. There was no way Niall was gonna stay here.

"I'll be there, it's okay, babe, I promise, if anything happens that makes you uncomfortable then we can leave as soon as you want to. But it's my family, they won't judge us or anything, they're gonna like you." How could anyone not like Niall? The only thing that was maybe gonna happen was them asking some questions because of Niall's age and all, but Liam was pretty sure that they were only gonna ask him that in private. "You'll be okay, Ni, I'd never let anyone hurt you or make you feel bad, you know that, baby, no matter if it's my family or someone else, you mean the world to me and I don't care what anyone else thinks of it."

"I k-know… " Releasing a shaky breath, Niall finally looked up again, rubbing one of his eyes again, hopefully because he was tired and not because he was about to start crying or something, Liam wouldn't have survived that now. "Okay… we… we can go."

"Thank you so much, Niall, I'm gonna make sure that it'll be fine, yeah? Come here." It was obvious what Liam meant, the younger boy still seemed rather shy though when he leaned down a bit with his hands on the brunette man's chest to support himself, blushing slightly when Liam sat up halfway to meet him in the middle, smiling a hopefully comforting smile before connecting their lips for a brief, sweet kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too… " The younger boy always had trouble saying it our loud, but he would always smile afterwards, even if it was just the tiniest bit, it never failed to make Liam happy. 

"I'm just quickly gonna text Harry, okay? Would you mind if we go there with them? We can also go alone, you know, whatever you want." Trying to carefully sit up and leaning against the back of the couch caused Niall to automatically straddle Liam's lap instead of his stomach now, Liam made sure to hold on tightly, rearranging the blanket again while Niall's arms wrapped around his neck, slowly shaking his head.

"No, it's … it's fine if we go with them." Luckily Harry and Louis weren't a problem for Niall, had never been actually, because that would've caused Liam even more troubles than the thing with his family. It'd be fine if they didn't like Niall, even if there was no reason to, but they lived three hours away and Liam barely saw them anyways.

"Alright, I'll tell Harry, yeah?" Kissing Niall's nose just because he could, Liam bit back a smile as he watched the boy's cheeks getting red before getting his phone out in order to text his friend, already kinda excited to see his reaction. "I bet he's gonna try to talk himself out of it … or if he won't then he and Louis are probably gonna go around there telling everybody about how they're looking for inspirations for their own weeding."

"Are they… engaged?" Liam was about to laugh and say no before he really considered it for a moment, not quite sure anymore whether Louis and Harry would even tell him, they were the kinda people to call and invite Liam to a wedding that was like 3 days away. 

"I don't think so, but… I'm pretty positive that they're gonna do it at some point in the near future." Putting his phone down again, Liam brought his attention back to the younger boy still straddling his lap, fingers playing with the hair in the back of the brunette man's neck. "I've never been to a wedding before."

"Me neither." Niall shrugged a bit as Liam smiled, hugging the boy tightly around the waist now so they could be a little bit closer, kissing the corner of his mouth briefly, just because he was so damn cute and sleepy right now, leaving him slightly breathless. "I… I heard that, um… that they're quite boring… "

"I heard that too, but we're there together so I don't think we are gonna get bored, right? We never do." Which was true, there was not one incidents Liam could remember that would have made him wish he would be with someone else right now, which was quite remarkable really, he used to always treasure the time he had for himself only.

"True… " Niall breathed, blushing when Liam placed another kiss, closer to the center of Niall's lips now, barely being able to hold back his chuckle when he felt the fingers gripping his hair that tiny bit tighter. "Li…?"

"Hm?" Still not fully kissing him yet, Liam thought about how it'd feel like to kiss Niall deeper than just with closed lips, he had kinda waited for the boy to bring it up because he knew that a conversation would just make him feel awkward, but now he was thinking that maybe he could just try it. Slowly of course, so Niall could pull away at any point or make him stop, so that he'd know immediately when this wasn't what the blonde boy wanted as well.

"Can you… k-kiss me properly?" With properly he probably meant the way they had been kissing up to now, his breath hit Liam's lips when he whispered, causing the older man to feel some shivers down his spine, tightening his arms around Niall's tiny waist. "…. Please?"

"Of course… no need to say please, baby… " There was nothing he would have rather done, especially when Niall specifically asked for it, very obviously enjoying this just as much as Liam did.

The brunette man started it slow at first, just like he always did so he Niall wouldn't be startled, kissing his lips a few times, loving how the boy would immediately lean into him, chasing his mouth whenever Liam pulled away even if it was just the tiniest bit, his arms immediately tightening around Liam's neck.

This time though, Liam decided to try a little bit more, just because Niall was so responsive and it seemed like he really wanted it too but had no idea what or when to do what. He was so clumsy and uninformed yet he learned rather quickly and it was honestly the cutest thing in the world.

Liam only slowly parted his lips, just to try it, see if Niall would jerk back or not but he didn't, there maybe was a tiny flinch when he felt Liam's tongue on his bottom lip but that was basically all the reaction he had. Well, that and the fact that he was suddenly holding on for his dear life, his body curving into Liam's when the older man tried to nudge Niall's lips apart, very slowly and gently to not overdo it, almost having to pull away then just to chuckle at how quickly the blonde boy complied.

It was a new feeling, one that sent more shivers down Liam's spine than he had ever experienced before, which was quite remarkable considering the fact that they weren't even doing much, Niall clumsily trying to react when the older man licked into his mouth, feeling Niall grabbing tighter onto him when their tongues met. 

The sensation was really good, it actually took a lot more willpower in Liam than usually to hold back and not do something stupid like slip his hands underneath Niall's shirt. What he couldn't suppress though was the low sigh that escaped him as he massaged Niall's tongue with his own, exploring the younger boy's mouth because he was making no attempts to pull away. If anything, he was trying really hard to keep Liam close and try to imitate his actions since he obviously had never kissed anyone like this before.

For some reason Liam felt really proud, that he was the only who had ever been this intimate with Niall, it also caused him to be a lot more protective over him, kinda wanting to be the most perfect boyfriend anyone could ever be just because Niall really deserved it. Plus he had nothing to compare it with so Liam was trying to give him the best experience he possibly could.

Since they had never deepend their kisses, it also caused them to run out of breath a lot quicker to Liam's displeasure. He couldn't help but softly nip at Niall's bottom lip though before fully pulling back so they could both catch some air, feeling himself smile when Niall followed him back to keep their lips attached for that tiny little bit longer. 

"Was that… alright?" Just to make sure, Liam was panting a bit as he opened his eyes, very pleased to see Niall's lips red and swollen, a look on his face as if he had enjoyed the hell out of it, as if he was sad about having had to stop. Good.

"Y-Yeah… " The boy's face was also quite red now, but he returned Liam's smile, breathing hard, so little distance between them that Liam could still feel his breath against his skin. "Thank… you…"

"For what, Ni? I wanted to kiss you like this the very first time, I was just trying not to push you or anything, I'm just glad if you liked it." Letting go of the boy's waist with one hand, Liam moved it up to his face, gently stroking a finger over his blushed cheeks before ever so slowly dragging his thumb over Niall's wet and hot bottom lip, softy holding his chin in place. "You gotta make me stop immediately whenever I do something you don't want me to, okay? There's no need to be embarrassed about it or anything, it's perfectly normal to not like certain things or to feel like it's going too fast for you. And I would never be mad either if we had to stop, I'd be a lot madder if I found out you were just playing along because you thought I wanted it that way. I only wanna do what you wanna do as well, alright? Promise me you'd tell me if you wanted me to stop."

"Promise… " His breath hit Liam's fingers, eyes fixated on the older man's shirt instead of his face as he shrugged a tiny bit. "I… I really liked this though… "

"Good, I'm glad if you did. Come here." Taking his hand away again, Liam leaned in once more to softly peck Niall's lips again, just briefly, going back to hugging him close afterwards, loving the way Niall immediately snuggled his head down between his own arm and Liam's neck. "I love you, Nialler… "

"I love you too… " He was only whispering, but it had definitely been there, not failing to make Liam smile once more as he kissed the side of the boy's head, just holding him then, slowly feeling tiredness coming over him again.

Yet again though, Liam was kept from fully getting lost in thoughts because his phone was vibrating another time, giving Niall a reason to giggle when the brunette man let out a groan, one hand rubbing Niall's back as he blindly searched for his phone with the other, not even checking the caller ID before picking up and pressing it to his ear. There was no question who this was anyways.

"Hello, Harry." Liam had to bite back the smile when he heard the rather loud huff at the other end, maybe even Louis saying something in the background.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that your sister is getting married? Maybe we had plans for next weekend, you know." Well, at least he hadn't tried to play Liam a prank by not reminding him.

"You and Louis got an invite, Haz, remember? Months ago already, I forgot about it as well, my mum just called me to remind me, she was pretty pissed that we have all forgotten about it." Only because of Liam though, but there was no need to tell Harry that, no need for him to feel less guilty than Liam.

"Oh… well… I already spoke with Louis and he said it's fine if we go, just… can you drive? We'll pay you half of the gas back, promise." Harry and Louis had been using the same back account for years, which was quite remarkable really, seeing as they had been pretty young back then, but it seemed to work somehow.

"It's fine. We'll leave friday night, okay? After work, the wedding is saturday morning." Just so they knew, they'd probably have to stay until sunday, which was fine though, Liam could show Niall around a bit maybe, even if he didn't have any emotional stories to share about his hometown. 

"Alright, thanks. What about Niall?" Right, that seemed to be the most appropriate question, Liam almost had to laugh at the thought of Harry and Louis seeing him and Niall kissing or holding hands without knowing that they were together. 

"He's coming too." Did he really think Liam would leave him behind? Even if they hadn't been dating.

"Right, didn't expect anything else. So… is he gonna squeeze into your old bed with you? That's gonna be the best trip we've ever taken for sure." They hadn't taken any trips besides that though, but Harry laughed as if this was supposed to embarrass Liam or anything, when in reality, he couldn't have minded less about having to share tiny spaces with his boyfriend. "Right, we'll talk again on monday, 'kay? I gotta go, bye."

"Bye, Haz." Relived that that was over as well, Liam simply dropped the phone onto the couch after hanging up, wrapping his second arm back around Niall as well, pressing a big kiss into his blonde hair. "Sorry for that… "

"It's okay." Niall's voice was muffled, he sounded rather sleepy again, almost making Liam turn his phone off completely so that they wouldn't get any more interruptions. "Are you nervous about, um… about Harry and Louis finding out that… that we, you know… "

"No, it'll be fine. There's no need for you to worry either, okay? They… they kinda wanted this to happen anyways, didn't they?" Definitely, they had been bugging Liam about having to find someone else for ages now, plus they had been making stupid jokes about him and Niall so there they had it. "Plus, I'm way too happy that you are all mine now, I don't care what anyone else thinks or says."

"I… I'm not that great though… " It had come out really quiet, after quite some hesitation and Liam immediately decided that he couldn't allow Niall to think like this. Not ever. 

"Don't ever say that again, babe, you're the most amazing person I know, alright? Never think otherwise." It was true, Liam really did think that, he hated that Niall was so self conscious at times, that he couldn't see how funny and how sweet and gorgeous he was.

"But … but I-I'm not- LIAM!" Before Niall had been able to finish and say even more mean things about himself, the air was filled with his laughter instead when Liam started to tickle his sides, still holding him tightly so the boy couldn't escape his grip so easily, not being able to hold back his own chuckle at hearing Niall's.

There definitely wasn't any sound in the world Liam would have preferred over this. He was positive now that everything was gonna go just fine, that his family was gonna love Niall and also that he'd be able to make Niall believe him whenever he complimented him in any way possible. It'd just take some time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter was late, i was busy!
> 
> also, im gonna say this again at the end just in case: i wont be able to update until at least next weekend, im really sorry about that!

"Do you really wanna bring all of that? It's only for two nights." Niall was waiting in the passenger seat, with the door open and his feet outside, but Liam had insisted he sat down before handing him a bottle of something to drink, kissing his forehead and telling him that he should wait here while he would try to somehow stuff Harry's and Louis' stuff into his trunk. Didn't seem like the easiest job judging from the sounds and all.

"It's only one bag, Li, you guys have one the same size, are you kidding me? You just gotta squeeze it in there a little bit… see?" There was some annoyed noise coming from Liam that almost had Niall chuckling, but he held back then, drinking a bit of whatever Liam had filled into the bottle for him, almost feeling a little bit like he got babied by the brunette man, like, not that he would have minded.

The last week had probably been the best of Niall's life. 

He couldn't believe that he had actually lost count of how many times he and Liam had kissed, _with_ tongue, or how many times they had told each other that they loved the other. Not in a million years would Niall have ever thought that he could be in this kind of relationship, the one where he would get sweet, random texts during the day and where Liam wouldn't let go of him again once he came home from work in the evening. It almost seemed too good to be true at times, but it definitely was and it was the best thing Niall had ever experienced.

Now his only worry was anybody else finding out about it and maybe saying some mean things or whatever, he wasn't too nervous in front of Harry and Louis, but Liam's family was something else, plus they had no idea how young Niall was or whatever, they probably thought he was a girl too. But Liam would be there with him, he'd always stand up for Niall, right? He had promised him that and Liam never ever broke his promises, so the blonde boy was mentally holding onto that, trying to calm himself down with the thought that they still had a three hour car ride ahead of them anyways.

"I still think you packed too much." Liam shut the trunk after that, which was Niall's clue to fully sit in the car and pull the door closed afterwards as they were all starting to get in now, Liam on the driver's side, which left Harry and Louis to sit in the back and Niall wasn't so sure what he thought about them having to sit behind him for the whole ride. They seemed quite like they would love to pull pranks on him should he fall asleep, which wasn't so unlikely either since it was already about 8 pm. 

"Don't know if you've heard about it, but normal people change their clothes, Liam, sorry if this is a shock for you." Louis joked, of course laughing when all Liam let out was a huff, his eyes landing on Niall after he had buckled his seatbelt in, lips curling into a small smile that the younger boy couldn't help but return. 

"I'd rather keep it together if I were you, Lou, I'm the one driving and-"

"We all know you won't kick me out, Payno." True, Liam was too nice to ever do something like this, Niall bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't have to laugh, only watching as Liam rolled his eyes before obviously deciding to ignore his friend, instead briefly reaching out for Niall, a bit unexpectedly, causing his face to get a bit hotter when Liam placed a hand on his thigh. 

"You okay, Ni? Forgotten anything?" His voice had immediately gone 10 times softer once he was talking to Niall, the blonde boy being glad that Louis and Harry weren't really paying attention to them, they were gonna find out about him and Liam eventually, but so far they hadn't made any comments. However, Niall was sure that at some point they were gonna kiss without really thinking about the other two and then… well. 

"No, I… I have everything I think." Hopefully, Niall hadn't really packed a lot, he had been slightly nervous while doing it and not really thinking about it either, but he was quite sure Liam would allow him to wear some of his clothes. Actually, Niall had been doing that a few times already, mostly the man's hoodies because they were really big and comfortable, but also… they smelled a lot like Liam and since Niall missed him terribly whenever he was at work, that wasn't a bad thing at all.

"Okay, good. If you need the blanket from the back then tell me, okay? Or if you need a break or something, we also have some food if you get hungry, yeah?" His thumb brushed across the material of Niall's jeans, giving him a few shivers as he nodded, trying not to stare at Liam's lips too obviously. No need to be THAT obvious when Harry and Louis were literally half a meter away. 

"Okay… thank you." Right, now Niall remembered the fact that Liam had packed some food for him as well, the thought of that had him both feeling kinda happy but also slightly worrying as to whether doing things like this annoyed the older man, it didn't seem like it, but you never knew, right? But maybe Niall's worries about being younger were unnecessary, it didn't really seem like Liam cared or even thought about that in any negative way.

"Does that count for me as well?" This was gonna be the next 3 hours, Harry and Louis trying to get onto Liam's nerves and Niall either trying not to sleep in or trying not to laugh, right now he did neither since he had a hard time breathing when Liam was touching him like that.

"No." Was all Liam answered to that, causing Niall to smile because he got a special treatment from the brunette man, Niall was his favorite and no one else would be able to take that place. Ever. 

There was just laughter coming from the back after that, Liam rolled his eyes before slowly pulling his hand back to start the car, giving Niall the chance to force his cheeks to cool down a tiny bit. He had gotten better at all of this though, he still couldn't get his body to stop reacting in such embarrassing ways, but at least Niall was a bit braver now if it came to initiating the kisses and all, still not over the fact that his mind was blown whenever Liam would slip his tongue into his mouth. Like, it really got Niall thinking about what else he had missed out on his life.

The first hour went by pretty well, the other three fell into a somewhat easy conversation while Niall played around with the radio, occasionally answering whenever someone addressed him directly. He didn't really mind staying out of it though, he was just really happy about the sweet smiles Liam would throw over at him whenever their eyes met, getting a bit sleepy too after a while, since the others weren't speaking too loudly and all, plus the calming sounds coming from the car, it'd probably get hard for him to stay awake after another hour or so.

Maybe that'd be good, at least if he was asleep, he'd be really tired once they got there and then maybe he wouldn't have time to get embarrassed or to say anything stupid to Liam's family. Because right now, Niall had 0 ideas about how he was gonna do this, his only plan was to keep glued to Liam's side and let him do all the talking. 

"Ni, are you falling asleep?" Liam's voice was soft when he asked, almost too quiet for Niall to catch, but he did of course feel the hand coming to a rest on his arm, blinking his eyes open, a little surprised by himself that they had fallen closed. "Sorry, didn't wanna startle you, babe… "

"It's okay… I'm awake." Especially now when he felt Liam's fingers brushing over his skin, down to his wrist and then ever so slowly, as if he was unsure, Liam let them slip into the spaces between Niall's, as if they were alone, as if the other two weren't sitting in the backseat. 

"It's fine if you fall asleep though, okay? We're gonna take a break in a bit because Harry is gonna wet himself otherwise, but I'll stay in the car with you." Of course there was some grunt coming from Harry at this, but he also didn't deny it, probably because he had a very good sight at their intertwined fingers from where he was sitting behind Liam. Niall found that holding Liam's hand was way worth getting stared at from the side. 

"I'm not that sleepy anyways… " Shrugging, Niall rubbed at his eyes with his free hand, yawning a bit before letting his head fall back against the seat, rolling it over just in time to catch Liam's sweet smile at him, immediately causing his cheeks to get extra hot.

"Okay, we already got one hour done, yeah? It's not so long anymore." As if that was what was bothering Niall the most, but he nodded anyways, feeling a few tingles in his stomach when Liam smiled once more before looking at the road again, someone very obviously clearing his throat in the backseat which Niall decided to ignore, just trying to focus on how Liam's hand felt in his, resting against his thigh, kinda glad that there were no comments from Harry's or Louis' side.

When Liam pulled into some motorway service area, he had to let go of Niall unfortunately, the blonde boy tried to swallow the whine he wanted to let out, almost feeling guilty about how thrilled he was when Harry and Louis both announced that they needed to go for a toilet break. "We're gonna buy something to drink afterwards, should we get you guys something?"

"I still got plenty left, thanks. Niall?" Niall had barely had any time to drink either since he had been trying not to pass out instead, so he just told Harry no and thanked him as well, waiting for the both of them to get out of the car and throw the doors shut, their figures barely noticeable anymore when they half disappeared in darkness. "You okay, baby?"

"Yeah… " Apart from the sleepiness of course, Niall felt himself relax now that he and Liam were alone, even if it was only for a few minutes, he was gonna make the best of it since they wouldn't get a lot of that the next few days. "Liam… ?"

"Hm?" The older man had unbuckled his seatbelt now, probably expecting the other two to be gone for longer so Niall slowly did the same, a bit embarrassed now that he had spoken up, but… who knew, maybe he wouldn't get the chance to anymore in the next few hours. 

"Um… can I… kiss you?" Maybe Niall's shyness had gotten slightly better but it was definitely still noticeable, he was twisting his fingers while staring into his lap, very well aware that Liam was never gonna reject him yet his face was still turning hot just at the thought that he might. 

"Of course you can, Nialler, come here." The smile was very noticeable in his voice, giving Niall enough courage to slowly look up, his heart flattering a bit when he met Liam's soft eyes, saw the fond expression on his face, one arm stretched out towards the blonde boy, looking very much like this was in his interest as well. 

Niall took a second or two before leaning closer towards Liam, it was slightly weird like this, in the car and all, but Liam's arm immediately curled around him, pulling him closer until he blonde boy wasn't shy anymore to wrap his arms around the brunette man's neck, feeling the shivers down his spine when their breath mixed. 

"Can't wait until this car ride is over and then I can kiss you all I want…. " Liam chuckled softly, his lips almost touching Niall's now, barely hovering above them, not giving the boy a chance to answer before he got rid of the tiny distance between them, fitting their mouths together.

Kissing Liam almost immediately caused Niall's brain to empty, he held on tighter, trying not to tug too painfully on the hair in the back of his neck but he also wasn't really able to think about it with Liam gently nudging his lips apart, his tongue slipping into Niall's mouth, all hot and wet, almost causing Niall to let out a very embarrassing sound. 

He hadn't really thought they'd go this far however he was also really happy that they were, he and Liam hadn't kissed like this ever since this morning when Niall had been embarrassed when he hadn't brushed his teeth yet and Liam had just ignored it, almost causing him to loose ground under his feet because of how energetic he had been. And sure, they had also kissed when Liam had come home from work, but not as long as Niall would have liked since they had had to pack and all, so he was more than just grateful for these few minutes they had all to themselves.

When Liam pulled away after a bit, his hand still cupping Niall's face, thumb brushing over his skin, the younger boy almost went back with him just to make it last a little longer, his lips burning, but in the best way possible. It was kinda ridiculous now to think that Niall had been scared of these kinda kisses at first in case he would be doing something wrong or that Liam wouldn't like it, but the older man had always been more than just sweet about it, always making sure to let Niall know that he liked it as well, so now the blonde boy felt like he had gotten better at it. A little bit at least, since all of this was new to him.

"Now I wish I would've made one of the others drive… " Liam whispered, his breath hitting Niall's spit slicked lips, still holding him as close as possible over two car seats, pecking the younger boy on the lips once more before talking against them. "I'm so glad you're with me, I love you."

"I love you too… " Heat was streaming into Niall's face at this but he still caught himself smiling, keeping his eyes closed when Liam rested his forehead against Niall's, both of them panting a tiny bit from the lack of air.

"You know what I didn't tell you… " Niall's heart was speeding up a tiny little bit at this, almost getting him sightly nervous before Liam already carried on, thumb still caressing Niall's face. "We're gonna have to share my old bed and it's kinda small, so… I really hope you won't mind."

Well, that certainly wasn't any bad news, Niall was almost too relieved, maybe slightly excited too, he knew they'd have to share Liam's old bedroom and he was really curious as to what it would look like, but he hadn't known that they'd have to squeeze into a small bed. Not that they didn't usually sleepy extremely close, but now they really wouldn't have a choice anymore. "I… I don't mind at all."

"Good." Was all Liam said, his breath hitting Niall's lips when he chuckled, still holding him close even if it was probably getting uncomfortable for him as well, but Niall didn't want to let go either, if he could have, he would've climbed over into Liam's seat to sit on his lap and cuddle since they hadn't really gotten the chance to today. "I don't mind it either… I really like when you sleep half on top of me, you know." 

"Oh… " These kinda things always got Niall slightly blushed, he tried to take the complement, but it was slightly hard sometimes, the blonde boy wasn't the most confident person and though Liam was helping greatly with that, it didn't mean that Niall always believed his words 100%. Like… he knew that Liam was always trying to be nice and sweet, maybe he was saying some things just to make the blonde boy happy.

"It's true… because then I can hold you as tightly as I want and it's nice to feel you breathing against me when you're asleep, it's… calming." Liam shrugged a little bit which Niall could only feel, his eyes were still closed, arms getting weak around Liam's neck from how long they had been sitting in this position now, foreheads pressed together, even more when the older man suddenly tilted his head, kissing Niall's lips for a little bit longer than just a peck. "Only bad thing is then I can't watch you while you're sleeping… "

"Don't… " God, whenever Liam would tell Niall that he looked cute while sleeping the younger boy got really embarrassed, which maybe was the purpose because the older man immediately chuckled before kissing his lips once more, softly, leaving Niall wanting more.

"But I want to because you're the cutest thing ever when you're asleep… not that you aren't when you're awake, but you know… " No, Niall didn't know and he also wasn't sure if he wanted to, he was almost ready to pull away from Liam now to hide his glowing face, the brunette man chuckling once more before making sure Niall would stay by kissing him once more. 

Maybe they should have pulled away after all though, or payed a tiny bit more attention, but they were kinda lost in the playful kisses Liam would press against Niall's lips, making him laugh a bit against his will when the brunette man tickled his side unexpectedly, obviously trying to lighten the mood. Which turned out to be a little bit unnecessary. 

"Fuck, I _knew_ it!" Harry and Louis had come back without either Niall or Liam noticing, causing them to jerk apart when they heard Harry's voice almost immediately after the doors in the backseat had happened. Well, shit. "Told you they were together, Lou, it was so obvious before when-"

"Haz, we're right here, you know." Liam was taking all of this very easy, other than Niall who felt like he had never been more embarrassed in his whole entire life, almost wanting to hide his face in his hands but instead going for just simply staring into his lap, kinda glad that the other two weren't able to really look at him like this. This was definitely not how Niall would have wanted them to find out, not while they were kissing and holding onto each other like that.

"Yeah, and you were too caught up in each other as to notice us coming back. So how long has this been going on… wait, does that mean you lied to me every time I was joking about you and Niall dating?" Did Niall even want to know about that? Probably not, he was almost painfully twisting his fingers now, very glad that Liam was pretending that nothing had even happened and all once the other two had gotten back into the car, simply starting it without further do.

"No, I didn't. I don't think it's any of your business either, so… " As if that would keep these two from asking, Niall knew them well enough already to know what every single conversation was gonna be about for the next two hours. 

"Of course it is, we're best friends, I think me and Louis should know if you were in a relationship. And besides that, we already knew it anyways, you guys haven't exactly been very subtle about your feelings for each other, you know?" At least Niall hadn't, but the blonde boy had had no idea about Liam liking him, it still seemed kind of too perfect for him now. "So how long?"

Liam let out a sigh at this as he pulled back onto the street and Niall just made a promise to himself to not speak and mess everything up, his voice would've probably broken away anyways, he just wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. "Since a week. Happy now?"

"Not entirely." Louis jumped in as well now and Niall suppressed a groan, he was even too shy to look over at Liam's face, almost jumping when the older man reached over once more to intertwine their fingers. It didn't really matter anymore now, did it? "You know we're happy for you, right? Both of you, it's really cute, we weren't making fun of you when we were joking about you being together, we really do think you make a good match."

"Thanks… I guess." Didn't sound too thrilled, just like Niall felt as well, he was holding Liam's hand a bit too desperately maybe, getting a tight squeeze back in return. If this already had him flushing like a tomato, how bad was it gonna be to have Liam's family finding out about it?

"I'm being serious, Li. Did you tell your parents? Or are you gonna hide it while you're there?" Maybe they should have, Niall was suddenly very much for that idea, but sadly, he knew what Liam was planning on doing, since he wasn't embarrassed about it and all, and maybe Niall should've been really happy about that, it's just… he was a fucking coward.

"We won't hide anything and I just told my mum that I'd bring someone, so I'm assuming she's expecting it, she also said she was looking forward to it and I'm not worried. Everyone's gonna like Niall." Yeah, he said it like that but Niall was seriously doubting that, even when he heard Liam's voice softening whenever he used his name, but it was still weird for the younger boy, like… they were all so much older than him, surely Liam's family would find it weird.

"Well, I'm not having any doubts about that, just thought Niall would wanna hide it because it probably makes him really nervous." Louis was right, more than that actually, but Niall was still keeping his mouth closed, pretending like this wasn't about him in any way. He did wanna hide it however he also knew that it'd probably be impossible and also… he knew Liam really wanted to let everyone know and Niall wanted to make him happy. 

"It'd be really hard to hide it though and besides… my family will be happy too, I don't think there's a need to pretend we're not together. Otherwise we couldn't sleep in my room together either." Another good point as to why Niall should have really kept himself together, he knew Liam was right and that he wouldn't put him through something he knew would hurt Niall, that didn't mean though that it got the younger boy completely calmed down. "If you really don't wanna tell anybody though, then we don't have to, okay, babe?"

A little but surprised at being addressed by Liam, Niall turned even redder for whatever reason, his voice feeling a bit shaky when he answered, his lips tingling from all the kissing before, Liam's taste still faintly prominent in his mouth. "N-No, I… I'm just a bit nervous, but… it's f-fine… "

"It'll be okay, Ni, I promise." And then, as if the other two weren't there, Liam brought their intertwined hands up to his mouth, kissing the back of Niall's and making him blush even more, if that was even possible, before placing it back on the boy's thigh and Niall decided that it couldn't get any more embarrassing, putting his other hand over Liam's as well, because… Harry and Louis already knew anyways.

Maybe Niall wasn't completely calmed down, but he was definitely relieved that at least Harry and Louis had taken it well, like expected, but… it was still kinda nice to have their consent and all, they were Liam's best friends after all and it'd be a lie to say that Niall hadn't worried about this during the past week.

Luckily, they changed the topic rather quickly after that and Niall decided he was fine by just keeping quiet and holding Liam's hand in both of his, enjoying the way Liam's thumb would rub slow circles into his skin, once again getting the younger boy sleepy. He was still scared of the minute they would arrive, but at least now there were two people less who could react badly to Liam dating a boy 7 years younger than him. That was a little bit of a relief, right?

 

———————

 

Niall did end up falling asleep, the whole last one and a half hours, it was just hard to stay awake when it was already night and Liam was holding his hand the whole time and they were all keeping their voices rather low. So Niall just give in to sleep at one point, deciding that it wasn't worth pushing through it and hoping that Liam's family wouldn't think that he was rude for being a little bit sleepy once they arrived.

The blonde boy got woken up with a few kisses scattered across his face, at first being a little bit startled before he breathed in Liam's cologne, relaxing immediately when he felt the older man taking his seatbelt off for him, a hand slowly rubbing over Niall's arm, cold air hitting him from outside. "Hey, baby, time to wake up, we're here… do you want me to carry you?"

For a moment, Niall was almost tempted to give in, just because Liam's voice was so soft and quiet and calming, but then his brain started functioning again and he realized that they were at his boyfriend's parents' house, who he hadn't met yet so he probably should have walked by himself at least. "No… I'm awake… "

"Okay… take your time, Ni, no need to rush or anything, yeah?" Liam kept kissing his cheek while Niall slowly blinked his eyes open, resisting a yawn just because he was hoping the older man wasn't gonna spare his lips. And he didn't, he just pressed a sweet kiss onto Niall's before slowly standing up straight again, one hand stretched out towards the blonde boy. "Come on, it's okay. Louis and Harry are already inside, they've taken our stuff too so you could sleep a little bit longer."

"Oh… " Niall hadn't expected that but it got his heart flattering a little to think about that Liam had been here watching over him while he slept, waking him in the most gentle way possible. Just like he always did.

Liam softly pulled Niall up, his smile a bit hard to see in almost complete darkness, but Niall could very well feel the lips being pressed against his forehead as he kinda just fell into Liam's side, the brunette man's arm wrapping around his shoulders while Niall's curled around Liam's waist, pressing himself as close as humanely possible. He was sleepy as hell but now he was also nervous once more, trying to look around a bit to familiarize himself with his surroundings but it was hard doing so in the middle of the night. At least he had Liam there with him, his only source of comfort really.

"You're gonna be okay, baby, my mum is so excited, I haven't seen her yet but I can imagine she's all over Louis and Harry right now. And my dad's there too, and my sister, Nicola, she's the one getting married. But I'm not sure if she's still awake, just so you know, alright? Come on, I'm here, it's okay, I promise we'll be in bed sooner than you think." Hopefully, because Niall was seconds from passing out, trying hard not to stumble as Liam walked him to the already open front door, the younger boy's heart almost speeding up a bit uncomfortably as he blinked against the bright light inside, keeping his eyes on the ground as he heard people talking. "We're here!"

Niall wasn't exactly ecstatic about Liam announcing their arrival, but of course the older man was excited, he probably hadn't seen his parents in a while so it was only natural, and he did try to calm the blonde boy by letting his arm around him drop, instead grabbing a tight hold of his hand. So now there was not gonna be a doubt anymore that they really were together.

"There are you are, Li, I already thought Harry and Louis were the only ones coming, they're already in the kitchen with your dad, it's so lovely that they made it." Embarrassingly enough, Niall was trembling slightly when Liam's mother came around the corner, not really able to look at her while trying his hardest to not go and hide behind Liam. He was 18 years old for god's sake, he got this. "Now let me look at you, honey, we haven't seen each other in ages."

"I know, I'm sorry, mum." There was a smile in his voice, Niall could hear it, more than just grateful when Liam didn't let go of his hand as he gave his mother half a hug, she kissed his cheek too while Niall was trying not to stare a hole into the carpet.

"You really need to shave, honey… god, it always seems like you've gotten so much older since we last saw each other." Maybe it was a joke because they laughed a bit, but Niall wasn't too sure about it because he was too nervous as to even listen that closely, trying to look up just for the matter of not being rude, pretty sure that his hot face gave him right away when Liam's mum's eyes landed right on him. "And who's that?" 

She looked nice, she was smiling too and Niall was trying his hardest to return it, not doing a very good job probably, just squeezing Liam's hand for his dear life, shivers running down his spine at the introduction the older man gave him. "That's Niall, my boyfriend."

There it was, it was out now and Niall's breath almost stopped as he waited for a reaction, almost thinking that Liam's mum was gonna yell or get mad, but if anything, her expression turned a little bit happier. "Well, that's certainly a surprise, I was really surprised when you said you were gonna bring someone, but… it's so nice to meet you, Niall, you can call me Karen." 

"Um… really nice to meet you too… Karen." Niall almost choked on his own words but he didn't stutter them out like a fucking idiot at least, quickly making sure to take her outstretched hand in order to shake it, very well aware of Liam's stare at his face. Hopefully he wasn't already regretting bringing Niall here. 

"So what do you do, Niall?" Now it was all gonna go downhill, she was still smiling though so maybe there was a chance, like… she obviously had to see that Niall was not the age of her son.

"I, um… I-I go to college… " Well, too bad Niall couldn't tell her anymore that he had a job as well because that had kinda… gotten taken care of. Also, Liam always encouraged Niall to not get a job and it's not like Niall desperately needed it, but… he maybe should have gotten one, just because it sounded a little bit more grown up.

"I hope you're getting better grades than Liam did then, he was a horrible student." Surprisingly enough, she wasn't surprised or shocked at all, in fact, she laughed before briefly touching Niall's arm, as if they had already known each other for years or so, like, she wasn't even asking how old he was. 

"I wasn't _horrible_ ,mum. But Niall's really good, he only gets straight A's." The fact that Liam almost sounded like he was bragging about that got Niall feeling a bit blushed again, attempting another smile as he was trying to figure out where exactly he was supposed to look at. "Anyways, is Nicola still awake?"

That was the first thing that changed Karen's facial expression, she let out something like a sigh while she waited for them to take their shoes off, Liam's hand remaining in Niall's the whole time, as if he knew exactly how much the younger boy needed it. "No, she went to sleep a while ago already, she's really stressed out, thinking that everything will go wrong or that he won't show up or something. I told her that's ridiculous but she got really upset, you know how she is."

"Why would he not show up? He's the one who desperately wanted to marry her." Luckily the conversation was away from Niall now, which was good, he didn't care that he had no idea what they were talking about, just happy that he could just kinda stumble along with Liam when they followed his mum into another room, flushing extra hard when the brunette man quickly pressed a kiss to his temple.

"I know, that's what I told her too, but I'm sure it's all gonna go fine, it's just because she's the first one to get married, we're gonna have it all figured out for you and Ruth." There was a smile that she threw over her shoulder and Niall was pretty sure that Liam was rolling his eyes at her, squeezing Niall's hand once more when they reached the kitchen. "Geoff, you won't believe who Liam brought."

Now it was even more embarrassing, Liam's dad was sat at the table with Harry opposite of him and Louis next to him, showing him something on his phone, they seemed to be in a quite deep conversation, only looking up when Liam's mum spoke in a bit too enthusiastic voice, as if she was really glad that Niall was here or something. It almost seemed quite like it. "Who did he bring?"

"His boyfriend, isn't he cute?" Oh god, that immediately had Harry and Louis bursting out with laughter, maybe Liam joined a little bit, Niall wasn't quite sure, he was just trying not to throw up when Liam's dad's eyes landed on him, it's not that he looked mean or anything, just… there was still a chance that he might not like him.

Or maybe not. "Oh, well, that's a surprise. A really nice one though, I had no idea you were in a relationship, Li." 

"Well… I am. That's Niall." Liam introduced the boy once more after his dad had gotten up to hug him, his hand immediately stretched out for Niall to take of course, slightly more intimidating than Karen before.

"Hi, Niall, good to have you here. I'm Geoff." Alright, this was not going at all like Niall had expected, Liam's parents were so nice and all, immediately asking him to call them by their first name and shaking his hand and all, smiling at him, saying that he was _cute_ , how was that even possible? They didn't even know Niall, usually people weren't being that nice to him, maybe that's where Liam had gotten it from though, it surely was a bit of a relief already. "So, how was the drive? Louis told me you took so long because you needed so many toilet breaks."

And that was basically all they talked about Niall, there wasn't too much space in the kitchen and the blonde boy almost got scared that Liam was gonna pull him onto his lap or something, but instead his dad brought in another chair luckily so they could all fit, Liam's mum keeping on standing anyways, putting away some things so they were all able to sit in the end and maybe Niall wasn't too happy about that either. 

It made him slightly nervous to sit there with everyone, even if they were just doing some small talk and Liam kept on holding his hand as he sat next to him, clearly happy about being here, his smile never really faded, which got Niall excited for his boyfriend, just… he also didn't feel fully comfortable, plus he was more than just tired as well. 

For a while though, it all went fine, the others just discussed the drive with Liam's dad and then they talked about the wedding for a little bit as well, which was good because Niall didn't have to talk with these topics, however at some point, things were determined to get slightly… weird. "So, how did you two meet anyways?"

Of course this question was gonna get asked at some point, Niall immediately felt like he was wearing way too much even though it was just a shirt, he still felt like he was burning up, clutching tighter onto Liam's hand, hoping that the brunette man was getting the hint when he threw a desperate look at him. "Um… "

"Through one of my cases actually." Liam answered his mum's question fairly easy, smiling briefly at Niall, obviously to calm him down, which wasn't easy when he brought up these kinda memories, like… Niall was pretty sure if it weren't for Liam having his arms wrapped around him whenever they slept, he'd still be having these nightmares. "It's not a… very nice story to tell, but yeah, we wouldn't have met if it hadn't happened."

Harry and Louis exchanged a look that probably hadn't been meant for Niall to see so he quickly lowered his eyes again, maybe also a little bit to let Liam's parents see that this really was not a good thing to talk about. What'd they say anyways? Niall almost got shot and then he moved in with Liam because he was a fucking baby and couldn't be by himself? "I'm sorry, hon, I was just being curious, that's all, I didn't think it'd be anything you wouldn't wanna talk about… I mean, I kinda figured that maybe it wasn't normal circumstances since you're so young, Niall… how old are you, actually?"

"Um… eighteen." Niall had seen that coming, he was a bit too scared to look up, not really wanting to hear the reaction, trembling a tiny bit which hopefully nobody except for Liam really noticed.

"Oh, well, you seem older. Did you already tell your parents as well?" Though this was more than surprising since no one ever thought Niall was older than 18, the second part had his heart dropping a little bit, Liam's mum had almost sounded like she was the kind of person who would wanna meet Niall's parents as soon as possible, but sadly… that was never gonna happen.

"Umm, they, uh… " Niall was fighting with his words, it would've been stupid to wait for Liam to answer this for him as well, since it had been directly addressed at him, even if it made his throat tight and got him a bit shaky knowing that this was gonna cause a bit of an awkward silence. "They, uh… t-they died when I was… a kid, so… "

So yeah, of course no one immediately spoke right after that, Niall felt so fucking dumb right now, Liam's sister was gonna get married tomorrow and he didn't even know her and he had met Liam's parents literally 15 minutes ago and he was already telling them about his life story and all the attention was on him and oh god they probably hated him already and- "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry, this is none of my business anyways, you don't have to answer when I ask these kinda things, alright? I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, mum." Liam tried to calm her because she really did seem devastated, it even got Niall looking up in surprise at hearing her voice, he himself hadn't felt like he might have to tear up but Karen seemed like she actually might let some tears drop, no idea whether she always was this emotional but now Niall felt bad for having sounded like a fucking baby. 

"Yeah, but still, I feel really bad now, I'm sorry, Niall." Since Liam was squeezing his hand really tightly, Niall tried to calm down enough so he'd be able to smile, telling her that it was alright in the least shaky voice possible, almost stumbling over his words when the brunette man leaned over to kiss his cheek softly before whispering into his ear, as if it wasn't bad enough already.

"You wanna go to bed?" His hot breath hitting Niall's skin gave him immediate shivers, only managing something like a nod in return, not daring to look anyone into the face anymore. This hadn't gone as badly as feared, but it also hadn't gone very brilliantly, now they all thought he was a whiny baby that couldn't speak for itself. "We're gonna go upstairs, alright? I wanna show Niall my room and I'm kinda tired too actually… "

"That's fine, Li, I made your bed for you and I put an extra pillow and blanket in your room as well in case you're gonna need it, alright?" Standing up in front of everyone was maybe even worse, but luckily, and maybe that was just coincidence, Harry and Louis also decided to go to bed, they were gonna stay downstairs in the guest room though, to Niall's relief, like… he wasn't quite sure if they… would've been very quiet.

All of them saying goodnight to each other took a tiny bit, Liam's dad smiled at Niall once more, which was fine, but then Liam's mum seemed like she couldn't help but apologize yet again before hesitating and just ending up hugging Niall briefly, even while he was still holding Liam's hand just like he had since hours now.

So after that was done, the blonde boy had no idea how to feel really, all he knew was that he was both embarrassed and tired, but also a bit relieved, and most of all, he was just excited to have Liam all to himself again after not being able to really be alone with him for long ever since yesterday actually. But now they were gonna cuddle before going to sleep and Niall couldn't fucking wait for that to happen.

"Sorry, about… you know. But I can promise you, my mum really does like you already, and she does think you're cute, she just sometimes goes a bit too far, you know, with the hugs and all." While they were walking upstairs, Liam was keeping his voice low, his fingers still tightly intertwined with Niall's, their bag slung over his other shoulder, making it seem like it wasn't heavy as hell.

"It's okay… your parents are really nice." Which was true, Niall was just awkward with strangers, he had been like that with Liam as well so the brunette man knew that of course, he just didn't have any experience with it and especially not with parents, not even his own. 

"They will love you, I promise, babes, and my sisters will too, Nicola is gonna be a bit stressed out tomorrow, but Ruth will be excited to meet you, just tell me if she gets like… too overwhelming, okay?" He laughed a bit and Niall tried to relax, it was fine now, he was all alone with Liam, there was no need to be nervous anymore. Plus, he had been holding Niall's hand for hours straight, always somehow sensing whenever Niall needed him the most and jumping in to save him, the blonde boy was pretty sure that no one else had a boyfriend as close to amazing as his.

When they reached the first floor, Niall tried not to look around too curiously but he couldn't really help himself, he liked to imagine how Liam had lived here when he had been younger and all, even if that was hard to imagine now, just thinking about Liam being Niall's age was slightly weird, Liam was just so grown up and he also looked like it. Not that Niall didn't like that, he loved it, it was just weird to ever think of his boyfriend as something else. 

"Don't laugh at my room, okay? I… I'm not quite sure what it looks like now, I'm kinda pretty sure my mum just left it the way it was." Niall had no idea how long Liam hadn't been home, but it seemed like he was seriously getting a bit nervous when his hand was on the handle of the door at the end of the hallway, having Niall suppressing his chuckle because he didn't want to make Liam feel bad in any way.

"I won't, promise. I'm sure it looks fine." Secretly, Niall was hoping that it would tell him see a little bit more about how Liam had been when he had been younger, maybe some embarrassing posters or any of that sort, it'd be fun to look at. 

"Well… we'll see." Liam hesitated only another second before opening the door, taking a bit to find the light switcher before softly pulling Niall into the room with him, dropping their bag on the floor while the blonde boy was busy looking around, taking everything in. "So… that's it. My bed is kinda even smaller than I thought it was, maybe because I'm older now."

"I like your room." Niall wasn't lying, he really did mean it, Liam's room wasn't huge but it looked comfortable, especially his bed, there actually were a few posters on the wall but they weren't embarrassing or anything, there were also a few framed pictures that Niall took a lot more interest in though, mostly because it seemed to be Liam when he had been younger. "Can I look at the pictures?"

"Um… sure, I… my mum never allowed be to take them off even though I wanted to, so… " The brunette man slowly released Niall's hand when the younger boy walked over to the wall in order to look at the picture, almost feeling like his fingers were a bit freezing now that he didn't have Liam's wrapped around his anymore. "I was kind of an ugly child… "

There were three pictures, one of Liam as a toddler with what Niall assumed were his sisters, and then one with his parents when he had been a little bit older and then there was one of him in school with friends probably. He looked so different now that Niall wasn't sure whether he would've even recognized him, like, not even in the last picture where he was clearly older, it was just weird to see him without at least a little bit of scruff. "You were really cute as a kid, Li… how old were you in the last one?"

"Thanks, I guess, I'm not so sure about that though. And I was about your age in the last one, I think." Well, imaging them meeting when Liam had looked like that seemed kinda impossible, he looked like the kind of boy Niall would have had a crush on and never ever talked to, which he certainly wasn't gonna say, also not that he did think Liam had been attractive back then. "My mum has like thirty albums of pictures in the basement, I'm glad she only made me put up three."

"Maybe I'm gonna ask her to show them to me one day." Niall joked, very well aware that he was too shy to do so, but Liam played along, pretending to be a little bit mad, causing the younger boy to chuckle.

"You wouldn't be done looking through them a year later, there's simply too many. And all the videos, god… " Rolling his eyes, Liam went to close the door before getting onto his knees to open the bag they had both stuffed their things in, searching through it for a moment. "What'd you wanna wear for bed, I can't find your sleep shirt."

"Oh… " For a moment, Niall stopped in the movement before walking over as well to help Liam searching for it, sitting on the floor next to him, their hands colliding a bit when suddenly the younger boy remembered where he had put his shirt. Not in the bag. "I think… I think I've left it at home, I was gonna put it in the bag and then I left it on the bed."

"Oh, alright, no problem, you can have mine and I'll just sleep without, yeah?" That was a nice turn of events, Niall felt himself blushing a bit, sure, he sometimes wore Liam's hoodies and the brunette man would go to bed shirtless, but… the last part had him feeling a little bit hot. Of course Niall was aware that it was alright to find your own boyfriend attractive and all, but he wasn't quite sure how he was ever gonna approach this topic like… he was so nervous sometimes when he thought about them going further and at the same time he really wanted them to, it was more than just confusing.

"Thank you… " Clearing his throat a little bit, Niall pulled the rest of his clothes out as well, glad that he had at least not forgotten to pack boxer shorts and sweatpants because then Liam would have had to sleep naked. 

"No problem, babes." There was the usual smile on his lips that he reserved for Niall only, leaning over, Liam pressed a quick kiss to the younger boy's temple, letting his lips rest there for a moment before pulling back. "You wanna go shower? My parents have their own bathroom, we won't have to wait for them to be done or anything."

"Yeah… okay." Niall kinda didn't wanna go alone, but he also didn't NOT wanna shower, or even worse, ask Liam to stay with him in the bathroom, he was old enough, he could do this.

The bathroom was just around the corner, Liam told Niall it was fine if he went first and the blonde boy was kinda glad that he hadn't asked his boyfriend to stay there with him because, well, the shower was more than just see through and even though he knew Liam wouldn't have turned around, just the thought of it had Niall feeling more than hot.

It went fine though, Niall only took a quick shower, not being able to get over how good Liam's shirt smelled after putting it on and brushing his teeth. Pretty sure that was the most comfortable piece of clothing ever, maybe Niall would grow the guts at some point to just randomly ask Liam if it would be aright to wear the older man's clothes. Probably not though.

When he got back to the room, Liam was sitting on the edge of the mattress with his phone in his hands, immediately looking up with a smile though when he heard Niall enter, already having his arms stretched out towards the younger boy before Niall had even had a chance to dump his clothes somewhere. "I love it when you're wearing my clothes, you know."

At least Liam agreed with Niall on that, it did cause him to smile a little bit when he walked over, his cheeks feeling pink when he stood in between Liam's legs for a moment before the older man pulled him to sit on his lap, a habit he had started about a week ago. "They're… comfortable." 

"I'm glad they are because you look adorable in them." See, this was where the whole blushing started again, even if Niall felt happy as well, even more so when Liam wrapped his arms more tightly around his stomach, his lips pressed up against the younger boy's cheek, placing more than just one kiss while Niall had trouble breathing. "I'm so glad I got you here with me…"

"I'm glad too…" Staying behind would've been Niall's worst nightmare, he leaned back against Liam, completely relaxed yet still kinda blushed when Liam didn't stop kissing him, going a bit lower then until he had reached the boy's shoulder, pressing his lips over the fabric of his own shirt, arms so tight that Niall wouldn't have been able to move one centimeter even if he would have wanted to. "Li-"

Before Niall had the chance to ask something, he simply got cut off when Liam suddenly leaned to the side, not letting go of the blonde boy but rather causing both of them to fall down, a rather embarrassing shriek escaping Niall even though he landed all soft and with Liam still holding him, chuckling into his ear. "Sorry, you okay?"

"Yeah… don't do that, you scared the crap out of me." Not really, but Niall was pretending to pout, receiving a kiss behind his ear for that before Liam rearranged them a bit so that they were basically just normally lying in bed with Niall being the little spoon, just like he usually was, with his head on Liam's arm, feeling the older man's hot breath brushing over his skin.

"Sorry, baby… I can kiss it better if you want." Sounded like a very good idea, maybe Niall turned onto his back a little bit too quickly, seeing Liam's smile above him now, the way he smirked, hand rubbing over Niall's stomach as he leaned in that tiny bit closer until their lips were brushing against one another. "Hmm… I love you."

There was no chance for Niall to reply because Liam already had their lips pressed together gently and Niall turned his brain off, hand coming up to cup the back of Liam's neck and keep him closer, their legs tangling up all by themselves. This right here was probably what it felt like to be in heaven, Niall wasn't gonna say that out loud though, he would've been way too embarrassed.

They kissed for longer than expected, Liam was the one who deepened it like always, but it was all slow and gentle, just like Niall loved it the very most, when they had all the time in the world and he had Liam's hands all over him, holding him close, almost getting him sleepy yet again and making it hard to return the kisses properly.

"You sleepin' in, Ni?" When Liam pulled away the tiniest bit, they were still almost kissing, he laughed softly before pressing their lips back together, Niall wasn't even opening his eyes anymore, trying to somehow cuddle closer into Liam, seeking his body warmth since they hadn't tugged themselves in. 

"No… " But he would be sleeping soon, Niall had been more awake when they had been downstairs but now he was about to pass out again, it was probably after midnight already, which meant they usually would've already been in bed. 

"You can if you want to, I just gotta take a quick shower and then I'll be right back, okay?" Very bad idea, Niall immediately held onto Liam's shirt, making the brunette man chuckle as he pecked Niall's lips again, softly, before burying his face against the blonde boy's neck for a moment, placing a kiss there as well that gave Niall shivers. "It'll only be for a moment though, promise, you can take a quick nap meanwhile, we gotta get up early tomorrow."

"Stay… " Who said Liam had to shower at all, right? Niall didn't want him to leave, not now when they were so comfortable, when he felt Liam's breath against his skin and his scruff lightly scratching over it, when it was so warm and everything was just _Liam_.

"I'm here… " And then, as if it wasn't already bad enough, he started placing kisses on Niall's neck, having his eyes flying open before letting them fall closed again, just relaxing against the older man, thinking that maybe he wouldn't leave if he just kept holding on. "I love you, Ni… "

"Love you too… " Talking was hard with Liam kissing his neck like that, his hot breath hitting the sensitive skin, but Niall's sleepiness was also giving him a slightly hard time, fighting to stay awake because he was scared Liam was gonna leave if he didn't.

"I can't wait to see you in a suit tomorrow, you know." Well, that was something Niall had been thinking about as well, the other way around though, so he was slightly surprised about Liam saying the same, like… what would be great about Niall in a suit? "Bet you're gonna look even better than you normally do already."

"No… " This was embarrassing, Liam was always talking like he really meant it and Niall had no idea what to reply, luckily he also didn't really need to because that's when Liam lifted his head again to kiss Niall's lips once more, doing most of the work though because the blonde boy felt too tired to really return it.

"Don't fight me on that, babe… just go to sleep, yeah? I'm here and I love you, sleep, Ni… " That offer was too tempting, especially when Liam somehow managed to pull the blanket up a tiny bit without letting go of Niall, their faces still more than close, a hand brushing evenly over the younger boy's blonde hair, making him extra tired.

"Goodnight… " Was all Niall brought out, tightening his grip around Liam's shirt so he wouldn't leave before slowly giving in to his sleepiness, barely aware anymore of the kisses being scattered across his face.

Maybe Liam did leave after a while, but when Niall woke up for a few minutes in the middle of the night, almost panicking a bit, Liam was right behind him under the same blanket, his arm tight around Niall's stomach, pressing him back into his bare chest, hot breath hitting the back of the younger boy's neck.

Niall fell into a more than relaxing sleep again just a second later, as long as Liam was there holding him, he'd be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no update until at least next weekend, im gonna try my best to get one up there but my exams are coming up soon and my 1D concert is on wednesday and i have no time on thrusday or friday or tomorrow, sorry guys!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my apology for taking so long! ive been busy and im gonna continue to be busy for a bit longer so i apologoze in advance if i take forever to update!
> 
> still hope everyone will like this chapter, its extra long as well and i think it contains something a lot of you have been waiting for haha

"You alright, babe? Need some help?" Liam could sense the nervousness coming from his younger boyfriend, not the usual one where he would fidget his fingers a bit and get red spots over his face and neck, Niall seemed seriously stressed out while trying to get dressed properly, he already had his suit on, but apparently, it wouldn't really fit the way he wanted it to. "Ni, come here, I'll do it."

"T-Thanks…" Refusing to meet the brunette man's eyes, Niall let Liam pull his fingers away softly to replace them with his, biting back a smile because of how cute and helpless the blonde boy could sometimes be, he also felt kinda bad though, because he knew that this was a big deal for Niall, to be around so many strangers and all, but Liam had sworn to himself that he wasn't ever gonna let go of the boy and make sure that he was alright. 

"There we go, you look stunning, Nialler." Which was true, Liam had had quite some trouble before to not stare at Niall like a fucking idiot, which had turned out to not be too much of a problem since the blonde boy had blushed quite brightly when he had seen Liam in his suit. To think that the boy found Liam attractive or good looking somehow got the brunette man feeling a lot hotter, he knew about Niall's blushing and what it was about of course, but… it was also nice to know that he was the only one who got such reactions out of Niall. "Everything will be okay, promise, no one will even pay any attention to us at all."

"I k-know, just… 'm nervous… " Shrugging a tiny bit, Niall rubbed his eye with his knuckles, almost having Liam coo as he watched, a smile forming on his face as he opened his arms a little bit, not at all surprised to have Niall cuddling against his chest a second later, melting against it almost. "Li… "

"Yes?" Hugging him back tightly, Liam rubbed some hopefully comforting circles into Niall's back, kissing the side of his head softly before just holding him, loving the way Niall would tighten his arms even more, face buried in Liam's shoulder just like it always was.

"What if… what if your sisters and… and everyone else in your family doesn't like me, what if I say something stupid and-"

"Babe, shh. They will love you, I promise, my parents love you as well, don't they? My mum could barely contain herself when she saw me kissing you this morning." Which, to be fair, hadn't been a very nice thing of Liam to do since he knew how much it would embarrass Niall, but quite honestly, he hadn't really been thinking and Niall had looked so tiny and sleepy when they had gone downstairs for breakfast that he hadn't been able to help it. "Besides, it's only gonna be for a few hours and then it's gonna be just us again, I don't care what anyone else thinks because I know that I love you and nothing can change that." 

The younger boy didn't react immediately, just let Liam cuddle him for a bit, rocking them gently, treasuring the few more minutes they had all to themselves in his room before they'd have to go downstairs and drive to the church and socialize. Still, Liam was kinda excited about having Niall with him, if only the younger boy knew how fucking proud Liam felt for being able to show off with him, maybe that would've helped him a little bit with his nervousness.

It had been a short night, Liam had felt awful for having to slip out of bed after Niall had fallen asleep just to go shower, but he hadn't had any time this morning so it had been necessary. The boy hadn't woken up though, luckily, so when Liam had slipped back into bed behind him, he had still needed a few more minutes to be able to fall asleep, simply too happy to immediately drift off.

Holding Niall close before they went to sleep, hearing his soft breathing, the small noises that sometimes escaped him, that was Liam's favorite thing in the entire world probably. He was so fucking happy about his parents loving Niall that he could have bursted, not that he had expected anything else, but… it was just nice to have confirmation. Not that he would have cared had it been otherwise, there was nothing that was ever gonna make Liam not love Niall anymore, maybe thinking that after such a short time was crazy but it was just how Liam felt, this was just more intense than anything else before and it was the best thing in the entire world.

"Is it alright if we go downstairs? I think my sister is on the edge of freaking out by now so she won't have much time to talk to us anyways." Liam hadn't introduced them yet, it had only been him and Niall for breakfast before they had gone to get dressed, and his mum had been there for like fifteen minutes, looking quite stressed out already. Maybe because they only had about one hour left to get there and Harry and Louis had, big surprise, overslept. 

"Okay… " Didn't sound very convincing but Niall allowed Liam to pull back, his face a tiny bit pale now as the brunette man cupped Niall's cheeks, waiting for the boy to look up before biting back a smile and pressing a soft kiss onto his forehead, then his nose and finally, his mouth. 

"I love you, baby boy." Whenever Liam used those words, Niall would get more blushed than from anything else, the older man smirked as he watched Niall's cheeks darken, his eyes wide for a moment before he quickly looked down, still leaning into Liam's touch. 

"I love you too, Li… " He almost only whispered, making Liam smile nevertheless because he was never gonna tired of hearing this out of the boy's mouth in the cutest voice possible. God he was so fucking cute, couldn't they just lie in bed all day and cuddle?

"I love you more." And before Niall could protest like he always did, Liam had crashed their lips back together, using the chance that the blonde boy had to gasp to slowly lick into his mouth, deciding that a quick make out session couldn't be a bad idea. How else was he gonna survive looking at Niall in a suit for so long without being allowed to do anything except for holding his hand? 

When they walked downstairs ten minutes later with intertwined fingers, Liam's lips felt a bit hot and swollen, just like Niall's looked like as well, which was good, Liam loved seeing and feeling evidence of what they had just been doing, he loved how much Niall enjoyed these kissed, how he would get less shy and grab onto Liam, curving his body right into the older man's. 

It'd be a slight lie to say that these kinda things never caused Liam to think a bit further, something he very successfully suppressed most of the time though, Niall needed time and Liam was gonna give him all the time in the world, he was gonna make it special for the boy, and make sure to be gentle, so he wouldn't have to be nervous in any way, so he wouldn't ever regret letting Liam taking care of him. 

There were voices coming from the living room causing Liam to hold on tighter onto Niall's hand, feeling the boy holding onto his wrist with his second one as well, not even looking up when Liam kissed the top of his head, his slight shaking becoming more noticeable once they entered the room. "… and don't touch it anymore, trust me, it looks way better like this… there you are boys! I was about to go upstairs and get you, I thought you had fallen back asleep like Harry and Louis."

There had been a slight displeasure in his mum's voice that made Liam smile, he knew everything was going to turn out fine in the end, his mum and sisters just always stressed out a bit too much. "No, we're all ready. Where's Haz and Lou anyways?"

"I put them in the car with your dad, they would just be standing around uselessly, they also looked like they were gonna fall asleep on the way there." She rolled her eyes at Liam, making him chuckle for a second before throwing a smile at Niall who had shyly stepped closer to the older man, probably eying Liam's sister a little bit since she was standing by the window, furiously texting on her phone, her hair looking a bit like a hot mess, but she did have her wedding dress on already at least. "Nicola, have you seen how adorable your bother's boyfriend is?"

Aright, now there was no doubt anymore that Niall's cheeks were on fire, but Liam couldn't help the rush of fondness, he had never thought that his mum had been more right before. "I didn't even know he had a boyfriend, mum, or that he would bring him." 

"I already told you about him twice, honey." For a moment, Liam almost thought his sister was gonna be mean to Niall or something, ready to defend him, for which there was no need to though because the second Nicola's eyes landed on Niall, her stressed out expression clearly turned a lot softer. "Isn't he cute?"

"Oh… " Was all that escaped her and Liam could feel tension going through his boyfriend's body, his eyes were fixed on the ground now when the older man checked, quickly deciding to jump in to the rescue, his hand almost hurting from how desperately Niall was clutching onto him.

"Nici, that's Niall." Just so it wouldn't get too awkward, Liam tried to act rather normal, trying to ignore the fact that his sister seemed to be 10 seconds from wrapping Niall into her arms and never ever letting go again, she had that look on her face as if she had just seen a puppy yelping by her feet. Pretty accurate description actually. 

"I… hi, Niall, I'm Nicola, Liam's sister… you're gonna like me way more than Ruth, I promise." That's when she finally started smiling, maybe a little bit too bright, but Liam barely had any time to roll his eyes at her before she had already stretched her hand out towards Niall, suddenly more than just excited about all of this.

"Hi… " Niall had some trouble letting go of Liam's wrist with one hand to shake Nicola's hand, his voice was quiet and shaky and Liam was pretty sure he wasn't the only who wanted to coo at his boyfriend right now, his mother looked close to dying actually. "U-Um… congratulations o-on… the w-wedding…"

Shit, Liam wanted to die on the spot and squeeze all air out of Niall yet he tried his hardest to keep it together, instead watching his sister's face change once more, she almost seemed like she was gonna go over to squealing now, much like Liam's mum who was now keeping a bit in the background luckily because Niall's face couldn't have gotten any redder anymore anyways. "Thank you so much, I'm glad Liam took you with him, I hope you're gonna enjoy the wedding, okay?"

There was nothing but a nod coming from Niall, he clearly had struggle finding the right words so quickly, which was completely fine though because he could as well have been fully hiding behind Liam and everyone would have still wanted to pull him into their arms and cover him in kisses. But no, that privilege was only reserved for Liam. 

For a second or two, Nicola almost seemed like she was gonna drop the topic and get back to being normal again, but instead she looked over at Liam then, the same expression on her face, suddenly stretching one arm out towards him. "We haven't seen each other in ages, Li."

"I know… I'm sorry." Hopefully his mum hadn't told her that he had almost forgotten about the wedding, Liam smiled before giving his sister a half hug, trying to be careful with her dress and also so he wouldn't have to let go of Niall's hand, deciding that he should probably say something nice, because he did love his sister, they had just grown apart a bit. "You look really good in the dress, Nic."

"I look like a hot mess, but thanks, baby bro." She laughed a bit, about to pull away but then holding on for another second, her lips a bit too close to Liam's ear as she whispered, probably loud enough for everyone to hear. "He really is cute, Li. Is he … off age?"

Of course that question had to come at some point, Liam wanted to groan but kept himself together, just praying that Niall hadn't heard his sister but the boy was busy holding his hand as tightly as possible and leaning his head against Liam's arm. "Yeah, what do you take me for?"

"Just asking." When they pulled apart, Nicola's smile was still way too bright, her eyes drifting off to the younger, blonde boy once more, very obviously already having fallen in love with him, within 5 minutes. Was Niall even aware of the effect he had on people? How literally everyone in Liam's family adored him? "How much time do we have left until we have to leave, mum?"

"30 minutes, now that you're saying it, we have to hurry up. What else do you want to change? I think it looks good like this, just… here, hold this for a second, Liam." And just like that, Liam was handed his mum's phone while she went to fix stuff on his sister's wedding dress once more, even if it seemed like she wasn't even doing anything, they still somehow found a way to argue about it, at least not mindlessly staring at Niall anymore who was blushed enough for ten people probably.

"Told you they'd love you… " Liam whispered into the boy's ear when he was sure no one was listening to them or even paying any attention, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend's temple before pulling him over to the empty couch by his hand that Niall was still desperately clinging to. "Everything okay, baby?"

"Yeah, I… I'm o-okay… " He didn't sound 100% convincing but Liam was gonna take that answer for now, making sure to smile at the blonde boy, not letting go of him even when they sat down, so close that their arms and thighs were brushing, their intertwined hands somewhere ending up in Niall's lap, his other one still wrapped around Liam's as well, playing with the brunette man's fingers a bit. It was something Liam loved, when the boy showed him affection like this, these random touches, the way he would snuggle up against him, head immediately coming to a rest on his shoulder, obviously relaxing because of how close they were. Just knowing that he had such a calming function for someone was pretty damn amazing to Liam, but since it was Niall, it made him 10 times happier.

They didn't talk much while watching Liam's mum and sister attempting to get ready, which involved a few not so nice words, forcing Liam to bite the inside of his cheek once a while, not really daring to move or laugh or anything because he didn't want to disturb his boyfriend being all relaxed against him now, his head feeling like it was getting a bit heavier as time passed by.

Liam wasn't quite sure when the wedding was supposed to start, but he did worry a little bit about his sister getting into the car with that dress on once they had finally managed to somewhat get his sister to look closer to what they wanted, even if she still did complain about her hair every two seconds. Knowing her soon to be husband not that well, Liam kinda hoped that he wasn't the type of guy who would care about stuff like that, he sure as hell wouldn't care to marry Niall while the boy was wearing sweatpants. Like… not that he was gonna propose to him or so just… hypothetically of course.

"Do you want me to drive?" It took them ages to just walk out to where his mum's car was parked in front of the house, Liam still had a tight grip around Niall's hand, rubbing his thumb along the younger boy's in an attempt to calm him down because he seemed a bit panicky after the brunette man's offer, maybe thinking that he would have to sit next to someone else in the car. Really though, Liam was just trying to avoid that from happening.

"Depends, are you gonna find the church?" Well, that would be a bit of a trouble actually, Liam thought about it for a second before simply nodding, since his mum was busy holding his sisters dress up a bit so it wouldn't get dirty on the hem. 

"I guess so, you can also give me directions and-"

"No, we don't have time for that, I'm gonna drive." Almost immediately, Liam felt the hand around his tighten almost painfully, throwing a worried look down at Niall who had been very quiet during the past few minutes already but was now pressing himself into the older man, almost causing him to sigh out loud. Great, this was exactly what Liam had been trying to avoid. 

"It's a really short drive, promise, Ni." Pressing a kiss onto the top of his head, Liam whispered only for Niall to hear, not really getting a reaction out of him though, which wasn't too surprising but also not very comforting for Liam. If there was one thing he hated, it was knowing that he was making Niall feel bad, even if it wasn't his fault, but it was his responsibility to make sure the boy was fine and alright. "I love you… "

"Love you… " His voice was barely audible, Liam almost didn't catch it over his mum and sister arguing yet again while trying to stuff the dress into the car somehow, but Niall still sounded nervous and scared despite his quietness, almost having the older man protest against his mum driving. But it literally only were ten minutes or something, they were gonna survive, hopefully.

Before Liam could come up with more attempts to try and calm Niall, which obviously wouldn't have helped anyways, his mum had already turned to look at them, her voice maybe sounding a bit harsher than before due to the fact that they were most likely running late by now. "Niall, you don't mind sitting in the back, do you? You're much smaller than Liam and there isn't much space anymore now, I'm sorry."

"N-No, I… I-I can s-sit there…." Of course, his quiet voice almost broke Liam's heart, but he threw a hopefully encouraging smile at the younger boy, pressing a kiss to his forehead before leaving his lips resting against the skin for a moment, not very keen on having to pull away just yet.

"Boys, I hate to interrupt you, but… we're kinda already 5 minutes late and I have no idea if there will be traffic." And then Nicola would have to go get married without any make up on, Liam was internally praying that Ruth wasn't gonna decide to get married as well any time soon, he was never gonna understand how people would want to make such a big thing out of their wedding. 

"We'll make it on time, mum, I'm sure we will." Liam tried to calm her, still holding onto Niall for a little while longer before carefully and slowly pulling his hand away, even if it hurt a tad, waiting for the boy to climb into the car in the most clumsy way possible, somehow squeezing in with Liam's sister, face bright red and eyes kinda shiny when he met Liam's. Okay, they had this, it was only for a few minutes, it would be fine. 

Throwing another smile at Niall while trying to hide his own displeasure towards the situation, Liam softly closed the door for the boy before getting into the passenger seat next to his mum, barely able to put his seatbelt on before she had already pulled out of her parking spot. Maybe it was better that he wasn't driving after all, it would've surely led to some yelling and if there was one thing that made Niall feel even worse than being separated from Liam, it was people raising their voice, even if it would just be out of stress.

"Okay, once we get there we have to immediately go into the back room, Ruth is hopefully already there, and your aunt, and Liam, make sure you take Louis and Harry with you if they're somewhere standing around, which I'm pretty sure they are, and please, I know you are all old enough, but don't make each other laugh during the ceremony and… " And it went on like that, Liam had to bite back a smile, not really able to see Niall's face through the rear view mirror, but it only took him about a minute to come up with a different way for his problem in trying to find a solution to make sure his boyfriend was fine.

There wasn't too much space between the door and the seat obviously, but Liam somehow managed to squeeze his arm in between to the back, still nodding along to everything is mum was saying, feeling an immediate relief spreading through his body when much smaller fingers curled around his, definitely making the slight ache in his arm worth it.

 

——————

 

"I don't actually like weddings, it's never as romantic as you would think. Like, nothing against your family, Li, but this is a pretty mainstream wedding and it hasn't even started." Harry shrugged when Liam threw a look at him, he seemed to be serious about this, which made it even worse that they were all sitting in the first row, with Niall in between them and Louis next to Harry, everyone was still talking around them as well, but the ceremony was gonna start any minute. 

"And what exactly makes you a wedding expert now?" Honestly, Liam wasn't having the time of his life either, hadn't had ever since they had gotten up this morning. It had gotten slightly worse once they had gotten to church and Liam had been forced to talk to some relatives with Niall sticking to his side like glue, introducing the boy and trying his best to cut every conversation as short as possible. Luckily though, Niall seemed better now that he was pressed into Liam's side, leaving quite some distance between himself and Harry, maybe a little bit because Liam had his arm wrapped so tightly around his boyfriend's shoulders. 

"I'm just saying, it's not very exciting, you can't deny that and I doubt that's gonna change anytime soon. When me and Louis get married you'll see what I meant." For a second, Liam almost felt the urge to check their fingers for rings but decided against it then, it was obvious that they were gonna get engaged at some point after all, they were just… the couple that never had serious fights and always stuck together. 

"Did you already plan your wedding or something?" Liam wouldn't have been surprised, but he also was only listening with one ear again, more focused on slowly rubbing Niall's shoulder, once a while kissing the side of his head or his cheek, loving the way the younger boy would just melt into his side, his hand resting somewhere on Liam's upper thigh. It was almost ridiculous how good this felt after having to be separated for 15 minutes in the car, it's just, Liam felt himself going crazy inside when he couldn't be there to calm Niall and help him relax, when he couldn't touch and cuddle him and make sure he was alright.

"No, we still got time for that. But don't worry, Li, you get to be one of our best men, of course, and Niall, you can be our flower child or something, I think you'd do a really good job at that." They both laughed and Liam couldn't help but smile slightly, it hadn't been mean after all but it still had Niall blushing a little bit, even more so when the brunette man pressed a sweet kiss onto his cheek, grabbing a hold of Niall's hand with his free one as he tightened his arm a bit. "You two are just disgustingly cute, aren't you? Give it a month or two and I bet you're gonna be fully moved in with each other and ready to start a family."

"Should you decide to adopt a dog anytime soon then we can watch it whenever you're gone." Louis threw in from the side while Liam tried to decide whether he should take this all serious or not, after all, he DID want Niall to move in with him, like completely, he just didn't want to pressure the boy.

"Are you still having that fight over what pet to get? You have a big ass house, you could get more than one, you know." But they wouldn't have too much time to spend time with their pets so there was that, maybe it was weird to think about that now, but Liam actually did consider for a moment what it'd be like to get a dog with Niall, which was ridiculous of course but… somehow it got him slightly excited. Like… maybe they WOULD have all of that at some point, right? 

"Yeah, Louis still has his fake allergy that won't allow him to touch a cat, which is why we desperately need to get a dog apparently, but-"

"It's not _fake_ , Harry, I went to the doctors." It probably was fake, judging by the smirk on Louis' face, Liam decided not to say anything though, they always had these things where it seemed like they were having an argument and then they'd end up snogging. Which they hopefully wouldn't today because of obvious reasons. "I bet Liam would allow Niall to get a dog if he wanted one."

True, Liam probably would allow Niall to get a dog, a puppy, just for the sake of having his heart melting whenever he'd watch the blonde boy playing with the pet, not a very wise thing to imagine right now. "His apartment is way too small, of course he wouldn't. Right, Li?"

"Well… " Maybe Liam shouldn't have picked sides right now, but he just shrugged lightly, loving the way Niall was slowly playing with his fingers, absent almost, as if the conversation wasn't embarrassing or bugging him too much. "I probably would. Do you want a dog, Ni?"

"Um, I… -"

Before Niall even had any time to react, Louis had already let out a rather loud "HA!" and Harry had rolled his eyes, causing both of them to immediately go over into another discussion about the topic, one that wasn't only hard to follow but also made Liam question the fact that they were doing this in a church, at his sister's wedding. The fact that they were probably completely aware of it yet still didn't care only showed that there was no purpose in interrupting. At least now Liam had time for things he _really_ cared about.

"I would, you know, buy you a dog, I mean." No idea why Liam was starting with that again, maybe his brain turned a little bit into jelly when Niall cuddled closer into him as the brunette man tightened his arm, his lips pressed up against the top of the boy's head, eyes falling closed for a second. "Although, no puppy could ever be cuter than you are so… "

"'m not… " Niall mumbled somewhere into Liam's suit, causing him to chuckle lightly, his fingers still in the blonde boy's possession. They probably were giving everyone walking past a great show.

"Yes, you are… the cutest and sweetest person I've ever met… and ever will meet as well, I'm 100% convinced by that." Like seriously, Liam could never ever see himself not wanting to be with Niall anymore for whatever reason, the only scenario to them breaking up would be Niall not wanting Liam anymore. "I'd buy you 10 puppies if you would want them… and I'd also let you move in with me, but you already know that… no pressure, just letting you know." 

"I-I know…thank you, Li, I… I think I, um… I'm gonna wait with the puppy and… and I… I'll think about, um… the other thing, promise… " Of course, he was so incredibly sweet it almost killed Liam inside, placing more kisses on whatever part of the boy he could reach until Niall was giggling, still curling more into Liam though, making the brunette man wish that they would hurry the fuck up with that wedding. Especially when he heard the very quiet whisper numbed by his own clothes. "I love you, Liam… "

"I love you too, baby boy." Good thing Harry and Louis were still arguing or they would've surely made fun of Liam, not that he would have cared, he was just feeling a bit overly happy because of Niall saying it first, his heart flattering when he pulled away slightly to lower his head a bit and kiss the blonde boy's lips. Just shortly of course, since they were in public and all, but enough to leave him wanting more when they parted again, the taste of Niall's lips remaining on Liam's, sure to drive him insane for the next few hours.

There wasn't that much time for talking after that, luckily Harry's and Louis' rather loud conversation turned down right before it got even more quiet and Liam's mum hurried into the church from a separate room, her eyes already stained with tears, which wasn't very surprising though, it would've been stranger had she not been crying.

"I can't believe my girl is getting married… oh, Li, please warn me before you propose to Niall, a few months ahead at last, I need to take it in, this was way too quickly." She was whispering of course, impossible for anyone but him to hear, so Liam just smiled and nodded, holding tighter onto the blonde boy pressing into his side and hoping his mum wouldn't just yet start sobbing. 

Liam's second sister Ruth was the first bridesmaid of course, she had come to say hi to Liam for just a second before, being equally as taken up by Niall as Nicola had been, other than her though, she had immediately pulled the blonde boy into a hug and told him about how happy she was that Liam had found someone who looked cute as a button next to him. And yes, that had been her _exact_ words and Niall had blushed accordingly.

Now though, she just threw a look at them once she was standing by the altar and Liam was pretty sure Harry or Louis pulled a face at her because she rolled her eyes before smiling a bit, looking away again to watch the bride walking in instead. From what Liam could tell, all the drama from before hadn't helped much, his sister looked close to tears and to ruining her eyeliner, but they had fixed her hair after all and she looked gorgeous. A word Liam heard about every 5 seconds out of his mother's mouth during the whole ceremony.

It didn't last very long, or maybe time just passed by faster, all Liam knew was that he barely had any time to really listen to the couple's vows or anything because from one side he heard his mum crying into his ear about "Oh, it's so romantic" and on the other side there was Harry letting out a huff once a while "Well, that's a pretty cliché sentence, isn't it? I'm gonna write something original for you, Lou, promise".

Luckily, Liam had his boy right next to him and almost on top of him too, Niall really was the only thing keeping him sane here and he also didn't speak or anything, he was just watching and listening and honestly, staring at Niall's face during the whole thing was maybe the best part of it all.

"… I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride." At this point, Liam was sure that his mum wouldn't be able to cry anymore for the next few months because she had so many tears streaming down her face, being the first to jump up and clap of course. 

Actually, this was the first time that Liam realized he had no clue about any other festivities happening afterwards, like, of course he stood up as well just like everyone did, keeping an arm around Niall to make sure he stayed close, not quite sure though about where exactly his sister and her new husband where gonna go once they had left the church under everyone's applause. 

Turned out that there was no need for anyone to worry because of course, Liam's mum had planned everything out perfectly. "Okay, Liam, take your boyfriend and Harry and Louis and drive back home, here are the car keys. If you hurry up you can leave before everyone else does, and make sure to tell the catering people that they have to be ready if you get there first."

"Wait… we're having the party at our house? But nothing was built up and-"

"They were doing it during the ceremony, I gave them a house key. Also, there were things built up in the garden which you didn't see, but anyways, here, better hurry up, okay?" Funny thing was, though she had just been crying, she seemed all good now and professional again, the only time her facade broke a little was after she had handed the keys to Liam and her eyes got stuck on Niall, who had his arm around Liam's waist now, looking like the most adorable thing ever. "God, aren't you just the cutest?" 

"Did she just pinch your cheek, Niall?" Louis made sure to ask as soon as Liam's mother had left them alone to rush off to somewhere, the brunette man trying to bite back his smile as he squeezed his younger boyfriend, feeling slightly bad for him for getting embarrassed like this, but… he also kinda understood his mum.

"Drop it, Louis, we gotta hurry up, apparently the party thing is at our house and everyone is gonna drive there now, so come on." Just to make sure, Liam let his arm sink from around Niall's shoulder, instead searching for the boy's soft hand, intertwining their finger tightly before kissing his hot cheek, not really able to hold in his protectiveness and slight urge to baby Niall. "Don't let go of my hand, okay?"

"Okay… " It's not like they would have to squeeze their way out, but Liam wouldn't wanna risk losing his boy somewhere and have him freaking out or anything, he had seen enough tears today already and it was only 12 pm.

Trying to get outside wouldn't have been that hard would not everyone have wanted to chat with Liam, and then with Harry and Louis as well since they were so talkative, and then one time, when they were already outside and almost in the car, Liam got held back by one of his cousins who he didn't really see very often, almost not recognizing her or her name. "Liam, wait! Are you driving back now?"

"Um, yeah, we're gonna-"

"Great. Do you have space in the car? Can you take her?" Right, now that she was pointing to her daughter, Liam finally realized that she was balancing a toddler on her hip, luckily a smiling one that didn't seem to be fuzzy. Yet. "Please, our car doesn't start anymore and we don't have any space in the other one." 

"Sure, we can take her." Although… Liam wasn't quite sure whether he was allowed to take a child without a car seat, but this was his cousin and it was a 15 minute drive so of course he agreed, already about to carry the little girl when Harry stepped up next to him instead, a huge smile on his face. Oh god, not this again. 

"I can take her, no problem, we'll watch her in the car and afterwards too if you want, I don't mind at all." Maybe there was a reason why they never let Harry have the cases with kids at work, he always got so involved with them somehow, just like now when he took Liam's cousin's daughter from her with a "What's your name, sweetie?", leaving her slightly confused since she didn't know him, but Liam made sure to nod, telling her it was okay, that there was probably no one more qualified for this job. 

"Don't worry, he's my best friend, it'll be fine, okay? He's great with kids." Liam tried to calm his cousin when he saw the worried look on her face as she watched Harry and Louis already having managed to make her daughter laugh within 5 seconds. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah… yeah, thank you so much, Liam. And also… I'm really happy you found someone too." Her eyes had flickered down to his and Niall's intertwined hands of course, a smile on her face as she turned to leave, waving quickly before hurrying back towards the church, leaving Liam slightly stressed out. 

"Do they… do they really want kids or something?" Was Niall's only comment to this, they watched Harry, Louis and the child for a second or two before Liam shook his head slightly, squeezing his boyfriend's hand softly as he fumbled for the car keys.

"You have no idea, better not ask, they will have a whole zoo of kids at home once they get married, I can guarantee that… but hey, let's go and drive home, okay? I'm kinda hungry and also… if you want to, then I can show you how great I am at slow dancing." It had been supposed to be a joke, Liam tried to wink but didn't really manage to, causing Niall to both blush and smile a little bit, making it kinda obvious that neither of them knew how to dance. Which was fine though, Liam mostly wanted to just hold the boy as close as he could somehow do in public. 

One thing was for sure, the drive home was definitely better than the drive to the church had been, Liam got to properly hold Niall's hand and Harry and Louis had a toddler in the backseat with them that they somehow managed to hold a stable conversation with. So short, everyone was happy.

 

——————

 

"Li… I'm really not so sure about that, I… I've never danced with anyone before… " Niall was nervous, which wasn't very hard to tell of course, he had agreed to dance with Liam once it got a little bit darker so not everyone would be able to see them so clearly anymore. Also a little bit because by then most people would be a little bit tipsy and wouldn't pay much attention anymore anyways.

"It's gonna be fine, baby, I'm terrible at it as well, we don't even have to move a lot. See that couple over there? We'll do it like them." Maybe not exactly like them because the guy had his hands pretty close to slipping underneath the girl's dress, which Niall luckily didn't comment on, he was just holding tightly onto Liam's hand, having stopped them in the middle of walking. "If you hate it then we're gonna stop, yeah? Let's just try, no one is going to watch us."

"I… o-okay, but… but I really suck at i-it…" Taking a huge breath, Niall let Liam peck his lips softly and smile at him before slowly pulling the younger boy with him once more, trying to hide the fact that this was what he had been looking forward to almost all day long. 

It had been a long day, even though they hadn't been doing much except for socializing with people and eating, Harry and Louis had somehow managed to find even more kids they could play with, having taken off at some point to play hide and seek with them and never returned. Niall and Liam had been alone for a little bit after that, which had been really nice, Liam had almost been tempted to suggest they sneak away but then he had remembered the dancing part and well… he really didn't want to leave before having had at least one single dance with his boy.

"Liam… " Niall was almost trembling a little bit when Liam stopped between a few other couples dancing, no one was even looking at them, everything was fine yet Niall was clinging to him like they were about to get shot or something. Not that Liam minded to hold him close, he just hoped the boy would manage to relax, he didn't want to force him into things after all. 

"Everything's good, I'm here, no one's looking at us, I promise, yeah?" Slowly trying to pull his hand out of Niall's, Liam had quite some trouble with that task, distracting the boy a bit with a few forehead kisses over his blonde fringe before slowly moving his hands to Niall's hips, pulling him closer towards him, always making sure to keep eye contact. "Put your arms around my neck, okay? It's fine, Nialler, everything's good."

"What if… what if we look stupid?" If they did then Liam was sure no one would ever comment on it, Niall did lift his arms though to wrap around Liam's neck, as far as that was possible since he was so much smaller, his slight trembling still hadn't stopped. 

"Then everyone else looks stupid as well, it's not real dancing, Ni, we'll just move a bit, like this… " Trying to calm the boy down, Liam showed him that literally all he wanted to do was rock them a bit, nothing else, because the whole purpose of this was a completely different one anyways. "Just want an excuse to be all alone with you without anyone coming who wants to talk to us, you know… "

"Oh… " Despite it already getting darker outside, Liam saw the boy's cheeks turning darker, but he also seemed to step closer to Liam, suddenly more willing to stay here, maybe the older man should have told him from the beginning, they could've gone and pretended to be able to dance much sooner and spared themselves some smalltalk with Liam's relatives. "I… I think I'm gonna be okay, if… if we just keep it at that."

"Good." Smiling brightly at the boy, Liam leaned forward once more to connect their lips, hand gripping a bit tighter onto Niall's hips, brushing their noses together afterwards, not really daring to deepen the kiss right now, even if the whiny noise Niall let out almost suggested that he was slightly disappointed by that. "How was today for you? Was it alright? I'm sorry if my family was… too much in your face, they just really like you."

"No, it's fine… it was good, I… I liked the wedding." He shrugged a little bit, fingers playing with the hair in the back of Liam's neck, giving him a few shivers as he tried to at least move them a little bit to the music, even if it was a more than just slow song, perfect for them to just talk and hold onto each other. 

"So you don't think it was a boring mainstream wedding like Harry said?" Chuckling a bit, Liam kinda thought that the wedding hadn't been bad at all, maybe because it had been his own sister, but maybe also because he had never been to one before. Surprisingly enough, Niall frowned a little bit, shaking his head slowly.

"No… I wanna have a wedding like that one day… " Good to know, Liam felt his smile coming back even more prominently than before, by now it was getting harder by the second to hold back and not just snog the life out of Niall or hold him too tight, he just looked so gorgeous in that suit and with his cute face and combined with all these things coming out of his mouth, Liam sometimes was so torn between finding the boy adorable and also incredibly attractive. "That was really mean of Harry to say… "

"You're so fucking cute, baby. It's okay though, we all know Harry was joking… although I don't doubt the part where he was already mentally planning his wedding with Louis, but… we'll see when and how it's actually gonna happen." And if they would really drag Liam there to be one of their best men, Liam wasn't sure if he would want all that responsibility but of course he wouldn't say no, plus he also had a feeling Harry hadn't been joking about including Niall as well. "They definitely won't be able to get better food at their wedding though, that's for sure."

"Yeah… I really liked the cake." Niall admitted, as if it hadn't been obvious, a tiny smile on his lips that made Liam chuckle softly, pressing a kiss in the corner of the younger boy's mouth, pulling him a bit closer into him. 

"I could tell, baby… " He hadn't eaten that much cake but surely more than Liam, not even really complaining anymore afterwards when Liam had pulled him into his lap because they hadn't had enough chairs for a little bit, which had been really nice, if only Liam's mum hadn't almost died at the sight then Niall would have maybe even rested his head on the brunette man's shoulder without turning red as a tomato. "I'm sure there will be left overs too… so if we're lucky tomorrow morning, we might get some more. And if we don't then I'll take you somewhere to eat, okay? If I still remember where that one place is I always used to go to."

"We can just walk around until we find it… I wouldn't mind." That actually sounded like an even better idea, they wouldn't drive back home until a little bit later in the evening so they'd have enough time to go on a walk or something, it'd be nice, especially because Liam hadn't done that in so long.

"Sounds good, I'm sure we're gonna find something to do, we just gotta leave early enough so Louis and Harry won't come." Liam joked, his heart skipping a beat when he heard Niall's laughter, just watching him for a moment, the way his whole face would light up, he was glowing and so fucking gorgeous that the brunette man almost wasn't able to tear his eyes away again, deciding that he couldn't wait any longer. "Hey… come here."

Niall's face almost immediately went more serious again as Liam brought their faces a bit closer, moving one of his hands up to cup the blonde boy's cheek instead, rubbing his thumb over the pretty blush tainting his skin, feeling Niall's breath against his lips yet not kissing him immediately, just savoring the moment for a second.

"Do you know how much I love you? I'm so happy we met, I… I don't know what I'd do without you, Nialler, I'm so much happier now, I would never ever wanna go back to how it's been before. And I know it's not been that long, but… it definitely does feel like it and now I couldn't imagine to ever lose you again and I promise, I'm always gonna do everything to make sure you're alright and comfortable and that you know how much you mean to me, I just… I love you so fucking much… " No idea what it was that had Liam getting emotional all of a sudden, maybe the whole weddings situation, all he knew was that the words just kinda tumbled out, leaving him slightly shocked when he saw Niall's eyes getting slightly teary. "Hey, shsh… don't cry, Nialler, please don't…"

"I j-just… I never t-thought… a-anybody would ever care a-about me this m-much and I… I love y-you so m-much too… " God, now Liam was tearing up as well, he was softly rubbing his thumb over the sensitive skin underneath Niall's eye, quickly kissing his forehead, still rocking them a bit.

"I'm always gonna be there for you, Ni, I promise, you deserve someone taking care of you and being there for you, you're amazing and _of course_ I love you and will make sure you're fine, you're the funniest and sweetest and best person I know and I wish you could see that, I really do. I love you, so much, never forget that, okay? Whatever it is, I'm there for you, yeah?" Waiting for the tiny nod, Liam was relieved that no one's tears had spilled over, so to proof his point a little bit and also because he was slightly overwhelmed with emotions right now, he kept looking into Niall's eyes for a bit longer, waiting until he had calmed down slightly before softly connecting their lips, palm still pressed up against the younger boy's cheek.

The kiss started out slow as first, since they were in public and all, but Liam soon realized that he didn't care anymore, softly nudging Niall's lips apart, almost having to smile into the kiss by how easily the boy welcomed him into his mouth, having gotten so much better at returning the kiss that Liam's mind felt blown now every time they kissed like this.

It was so nice really, to just blend everything else out, just holding Niall as close as possible, tasting him, breathing in his familiar scent, getting the same tingles he always got whenever Niall would softly pull Liam's hair, the quiet noises he made, trying to press himself closer, body curving right up into the older man's.

They weren't like, too explicitly making out, but it did get a little bit further than Liam would have normally allowed with his family around and all, but it was dark and no one cared about what they were doing so he kept kissing Niall like this, massaging the boy's tongue with his own, feeling their noses collide a bit, the way it almost hurt to have Niall's finger nails pressing into his skin. 

When they had to pull apart for air, Liam was breathing quite heavy as well, kinda proud of how red and swollen Niall's lips were after this, immediately prompting him to kiss the boy a few more times, just briefly but sweet nevertheless, their breath mixing when Liam rested his forehead against the younger boy's, eyes pressed closed. "Do you… should we like… go to my room? There's… so many people around and it's getting late as well… "

"I-I… yeah…" There were no dirty thoughts in Liam's head at all when he kissed Niall one more time, smiling before taking the boy's hand again, tightly, to lead him back into the house, he simply wanted some alone time with him, wanted to finally lie in bed with his boy and worry about nothing else other than what centimeter of Niall's skin he hadn't covered in kisses yet. 

Being away from all the noises felt strange at first, but Liam couldn't help but let out a relieved breath when he closed his bedroom door behind them, his fingers still intertwined with Niall's, making him smile immediately when the younger boy turned to him with an almost impatient expression on his face. "You know… as much as I love seeing you in that suit, baby, I think we should, like… get some more comfortable clothes on before continuing this, okay? I feel like we haven't cuddled in bed for ages even though it's only been a day… "

"Okay… I… I think I'm gonna… shower in the morning." A very good decision, Liam wasn't even sure whether he could have survived both of them having to go shower now, so he nodded encouragingly, holding Niall close by his hand as he pressed another soft kiss onto his boyfriend's lips. 

"Yeah, me too. Do you want me to turn around or so while you change?" Sometimes he didn't mind and sometimes he would blush really badly, not that Liam was staring at im like a creeper or so, but he just wanted the boy to be as comfortable as possible.

"No, I… that's okay… " Niall still sounded a bit nervous so Liam made a mental note to not accidentally look at him, just smiling softly before bringing their intertwined hands up to his lips, kissing the back of Niall's before carefully releasing his hand, even just that gave him a small pinch, wishing they wouldn't have to part for even five minutes.

Liam decided that he didn't need a shirt, they took a bit longer to change since they had suits on and all, and Niall had trouble getting his off, blushing quite brightly when Liam came to help him, of course trying to ease the boy's nervousness with a few kisses afterwards, simply slipping on some sweatpants before sitting on the bed, pretending to play around with his phone so Niall could change in peace. Truth be told though, Liam _had_ seen the boy in only boxer shorts a few times already, he really wished he could've told him that there was no need to be shy but he always decided it'd be better to not say anything at all. Niall was coming out of his shell, it just took a little bit of time.

"Done?" As soon as Niall slowly came over to the bed, Liam put his phone on the bedside table, smiling before moving back against the wall to make enough space, grabbing onto the younger boy's arm as he climbed onto the mattress in order to support him, making sure Niall ended up safely on his back and with his head on the pillow with Liam leaning over him. "I love when you wear my shirt… I think I've told you that a little bit too often by now but it's true." 

"T-Thank you… for borrowing it to me, I… I like wearing it as well and… it, um… s-smells really nice… " After the second it was out, Liam's eyes went a bit wider and he was sure Niall would have loved to take that back, making him laugh softly as his stomach filled with warmth, one arm on Niall's other side so the boy was practically caged underneath Liam, not trying to move away in any way though. 

"Thank you for that, babe, I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Maybe it was stupid, but the fact that Niall thought he smelled good got Liam ridiculously happy, not being able to resist but pepper the boy's face in kisses, just anywhere he could reach, making sure to keep his arms tight around him. "You can borrow my clothes anytime you want without asking, just so you know."

"I… thank you… " Biting his bottom lip, Niall almost seemed like he was close to smiling now though his face was more than blushed, still giving Liam the last push, not able to resist those beautiful pink lips any longer. If it had gone after him, they would have been up all night kissing and holding each other without ever going to sleep. On the other hand though, watching Niall sleep like an angel was a privilege Liam wouldn't wanna lose either.

Since they were all alone now with no one watching, Liam didn't take very long to immediately deepen the kiss, he just wanted to taste the boy, make up for a whole day of barely any kissing at all, even more encouraged when Niall's arms wrapped around his neck once more to keep him close, kissing back just as eagerily as Liam felt. Maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise that the older boy wasn't watching his hands too much anymore when they were caught up like this.

Of course Liam would have noticed if Niall had been uncomfortable in any way, but the boy kept kissing him, letting Liam's tongue explore his mouth, his hands sometimes grabbing onto the older man's bare biceps, brushing down his arm then again back at cupping his neck, just anything to touch him. And Liam was much the same, he had never really completely shoved his hand underneath Niall's shirt but the position they were in right now was really convenient, so he had easy game getting his palm underneath the piece of cloth, just slowly rubbing Niall's tummy while they were kissing, getting a shiver out of the boy.

"That okay?" Liam asked breathlessly, barely pulling apart, his lips feeling wet and swollen, only waiting a second or so before Niall nodded and pulled his head back down for another kiss, very obviously not at all bothered by Liam's hand wandering around a bit, shoving the shirt a little higher, feeling the boy's soft and warm skin underneath his palm and fingertips, kinda wishing he could've gotten his lips there was well, marked Niall's pale skin up with love bites, let everyone see that he was Liam's only.

Suppressing these kinda thoughts was hard, especially when they were kissing like this, nothing really audible in the room besides their heavy breathing and their wet lips and tongues meeting, giving Liam more ideas by the second. Of course he had promised himself to wait until Niall was ready, and he knew it was gonna take a while until they would approach the sex topic, but… that didn't mean he couldn't ask whether Niall was up for other things.

Maybe it was because his hand was already so awfully close to Niall's crotch and the boy's sweatpants had never been that high to begin with, but Liam almost let his hand sink that tiny bit lower, holding back though in the last second, he wasn't gonna do this without asking first. He was just so desperate to show Niall how good he could make him feel, something no one had ever done to the boy and it almost got Liam dizzy thinking that he would be the first. 

"Ni… " Pulling away the tiniest bit, Liam felt spit connecting their lips, Niall's chest was heaving a bit, his arms in a tight grip around the older boy's neck, obviously trying to catch his breath and not really succeeding at it. "Can I… can I try something? If you hate it… just say stop. I'd never do anything you don't want… you can trust me, you know that, right? I just wanna make sure you're feeling good and comfortable."

"I… o-okay… I trust you…" He seemed nervous, but he still agreed, Liam kissed him one more time, his hand still applying a bit pressure on the younger boy's tummy, smiling at him when Niall's eyes flattered open, making sure to keep the eye contact, their breath still mixing because of how close they were. 

"I promise it'll be good, you just gotta let me know and I'll stop immediately, yeah? Promise." Just to tell him one more time, because Liam wasn't sure if Niall would actually do that, he would have to be careful with the boy to not scare him away. "Just look at me, babe, only at me."

So Niall did exactly that, letting Liam place more kisses on his face to calm him down, getting the blonde boy to giggle a bit when he kissed right underneath his ear and breathed out against the sensitive skin, making sure though to look the boy right into the eyes when he slowly moved his hand a bit deeper, over the hem of Niall's sweatpants and then, without applying too much pressure, right over his crotch, immediately causing Niall's eyes to go wide. "Li… "

"Should I stop?" Worried, Liam didn't dare to move, brushing some hair out of the boy's forehead as he waited for him to ease his breath, obviously having to think about it before slowly shaking his head, trying to cuddle closer into Liam. "I know you've never done this before but I promise it'll be so good, I'd never do anything that wouldn't be feeling good for you and if you don't want me to then slap me or something and I won't touch you anymore."

"I'd never slap you… " Niall mumbled, again almost causing Liam's heart to melt, but he settled for a soft kiss then, still not moving his hand but instead kissing the younger boy for a bit, waiting for his arms to wrap back around Liam's neck. 

The boy was half hard, Liam could tell of course since he had his hand right there and it'd be a lie to say that these kinda things left him cold himself or anything, there had been a night or two when he had had to excuse himself to the bathroom after a particular heavy make out session. Liam was pretty positive though that Niall had never noticed anything at all, the boy was just so innocent which made all of this a bit harder. On the other hand though, Liam was determined to make him feel good, maybe get a moan out of him. 

Rubbing his palm over Niall's bulge a bit already had the boy letting out a sound that could've meant either, so Liam interrupted the kiss, not having stopped his hand movements yet though, just wanting to see Niall's face in order to check whether it was still alright. "Feel good?"

"I-I… y-yeah… " Niall almost seemed embarrassed about enjoying this, so Liam smiled at him, pressing his lips up against the boy's cheekbone and keeping it there as he talked, feeling Niall's slightly trembling body underneath his.

"It's okay, baby, you're allowed to enjoy this, actually, that's the whole point. There's no need to feel embarrassed, yeah? I know it feels good and there's no need to blush or anything, it's just me, yeah? You know I'd always only do what's best for you and nothing else, I want to make you feel good and I happen to think you're the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen, inside and out, so don't worry about it, yeah? It's just me and I love you." Honestly, Liam had no idea how Niall didn't know how absolutely stunning he looked, he just wanted him to be comfortable with him and nothing else.

"L-Love you too… " Was all Niall brought out, his eyes immediately searching for Liam's as the brunette man lifted his head again, keeping up the smile as he applied a bit more pressure, cupping Niall through his boxer shorts and sweatpants, feeling the boy growing a bit harder, a whine escaping him that Liam felt in his bones. "Li… "

"Yeah? Everything alright?" Having taken up the hair stroking again, Liam was highly aware of every change in Niall's facial expression, he didn't seem to be anything near panicking though. 

"Y-Yeah, I… I t-trust you… " It sounded like Liam had just gotten permission to go further, but he just nodded, pecking Niall's lips, still wanting to take this as slowly as possible.

They kissed a few times while Liam kept palming the boy through his clothes, Niall's whining increased a bit and one time he almost let out something like a light moan which got him more than just red and Liam was absolutely loving this, pressing his lips against Niall's jaw as he mumbled. "Can I try something else?"

"Y-Yeah… " Now Niall seemed well up for it, his voice was shaky and quiet, but he was grabbing onto Liam arm, the noises escaping him being clear evidence of the fact that he was actually enjoying this.

Still, Liam took his time, not immediately shoving his hands down Niall's pants but rather stroking his tummy a bit more, kissing his neck before slowly getting his fingers underneath Niall's boxer shorts and sweatpants, almost being able to feel the boy's heartbeat increase as he let his hand slide deeper, still busy kissing the boy's neck as he wrapped a fist around Niall's hard on, getting a light groan out of the boy. "You okay? I won't do anything if you don't want me to."

"N-No, Li… please… " Alright now, that was something else, Liam was almost shocked to hear Niall _asking_ him to do something, the boy's eyes were closed a Liam lifted his head, feeling a smirk forming on his face as he pecked Niall's lips, loving the red flush covering his face and all the way down his neck before disappearing in his shirt.

Since no one had ever done this to the boy, Liam had already assumed that he was gonna get quite strong reactions out of Niall and he loved it, loved watching him squirm and his breathing getting unsteady when Liam had jerked him only three times or so, slowly, taking his time, almost proud that Niall already was fully hard, just from this. Liam liked to think it was because he had such an impact on the boy. "Good, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah… Liam… " Niall almost sounded like he was crying, but he wasn't, his eyes were pressed closed, fingernails cutting into Liam's skin, a heavy breath escaping him when Liam pressed his thumb to the slit, making sure to do a full stroke each time, circle his palm around the head. This wasn't his first time giving a hand job, also, he kinda knew what felt good from when other people had done it to him, plus Niall's reactions were strong either ways, he already seemed to be so close after only a minute. "F-Fuck… "

Curse words out of Niall's mouth weren't that usual, it almost got Liam smirking, but instead, he pressed his lips back against Niall's neck, nibbling at the skin gently as he kept getting him off, one time just fondling his balls just to try it, having the boy's hips jerk a little bit.

It was more than just tempting to look down, though Liam hadn't pulled the boy's pants down because he hadn't wanted to make him feel even more uncomfortable, his shirt had ridden up and also, due to Liam's hand movements, Niall's boxer shorts and sweatpants had also ridden down, allowing Liam to see the pink head of Niall's erect cock, sometimes disappearing in his own fist, forcing him to bite his lip and look away. Shit.

"You close?" He was, it was more than obvious, Niall's moans were more frequent now and he was so fucking wet already that the slide of Liam's fist around him was more than easy, plus he nodded immediately at that question, almost whining out Liam's name when the older boy jerked him off a little faster. "It's okay, Ni, let go, come on, I know you're almost there, c'mon, baby… "

"L-Li… " His fingernails almost broke skin, Liam could feel it, felt the burn but he didn't care, he just wanted to give Niall the best experience ever, watching the boy's face closely as he continued to get him off, how blushed he was and slightly sweaty, lips parted a bit as he let out another harsh breath, clinging to Liam for his dear life. And then a particular movement of Liam's wrist just set him over the edge, the moan escaping him being a little louder than the ones before as he spilled over Liam's hand.

A feeling of satisfaction spread in Liam as he watched while working Niall throwing his orgasm, pretty sure that he had never seen anything as hot as watching Niall reaching his high, his breathing slowly becoming more steady again and Liam slowed his wrist movements before stopping as Niall was trying hard to fill his lunges with air again, blinking his eyes open. "Was that… okay?"

For a moment, Niall didn't answer, he was bright red and sweaty so Liam wasn't quite sure if he blushed even more when their eyes met and the older man smiled down at him, moving his hand out of Niall's pants, carefully not to touch him too much since he hadn't wiped his hand obviously.

"Ni? You aright?" The boy was just panting and Liam almost panicked thinking that he might have not enjoyed it or something, his clean hand running through Niall's slightly damp hair, almost about to say something when he got interrupted.

Niall almost threw his arms around Liam's neck, pulling him down and moving closer at the same time, so he was on his side just like Liam, his hot face pressing into the crook of Liam's neck, breath hitting the brunette man's face as he hugged back tightly, a bit surprised by the reaction. "Yeah… thank you… I love you… "

Aw, shit, he was so cute, Liam felt himself smiling when Niall intertwined their legs, obviously wanting to be even closer, body curving into Liam's and the older man forgot about the mess they had made and just held on tightly, lips pressed into Niall's hair. "I love you too, Ni, so much, and you don't have to thank me or be embarrassed about this or anything, never, okay? I just wanted to make you feel good and I'm happy if I did."

"You did… I… I've never felt like this… " His voice was almost only a mumble, but it had definitely been there and Liam felt even better than he already had, if that was any possible, he never wanted to let this boy go again. 

"Good. I'd never want to do this if you wouldn't enjoy it and I promise we're gonna take it as slowly as you need to, yeah? I only wanna do what you're comfortable with as well." Even if it would take ages, Liam didn't care, he felt so emotional now for some reason, kissing around the top of Niall's head, carding his fingers through the blonde hair, gently, feeling the boy trying to snuggle up closer to him, very obviously not wanting any distance between them. That made two of them. 

"I-I know… you're the best boyfriend ever… " That was the part where Liam felt tears in his eyes, he didn't know how to respond so he just held the boy tightly in return, having Niall's trust meant pretty much everything to him and knowing that he thought about him this way was just amazing. 

It was decided, Liam wasn't gonna allow any of them to get up anymore tonight, no matter for what reason, he was just gonna lie there, exactly like this, and hold Niall until both of them had fallen asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The wedding had gone better than Niall could have ever imagined, Liam's family was really nice, he wasn't _that_ comfortable with people being this extremely touchy feely, but they didn't seem to extremely hate or despise him so that was really all the blonde boy cared about. Plus, he had Liam taking care of him and holding his hand 24/7 and Niall was absolutely convinced that no person alive would ever have a boyfriend as amazing and perfect as his.

He hadn't really expected them to go any further the night after the wedding, but somehow Niall had decided that he could trust Liam on this, that the older man would stop as soon as he got uncomfortable, and after they had been slow dancing and Liam had said all these things to him that had almost made Niall cry… he had kinda wanted Liam even more than any time before.

And it had been amazing, more than that, Niall didn't have any experiences in that field, just like he hadn't had any in general when it came to real interactions with people that weren't his family and that went over having simple smalltalk. So to say that this had been a huge step would be a bit of an understatement.

But it had been with Liam and Niall would have trusted him with his life so it had been alright, plus he hadn't ever thought that cuddling with Liam could have gotten any better than it already had been anyways, but he had been proven wrong that night, even if he had fallen asleep rather quickly, still with his boyfriend's calming voice in the background and his even strokes over Niall's back. How was it even possible to love and adore someone this much? And for the first time ever, not having to be afraid of these feelings to stay unrequited?

Sure, sometimes Niall had doubts and he felt a bit unsure, shy and embarrassed, but then Liam would say all these things and kiss and hold him in all the ways that had Niall feeling like he was in heaven and somehow, it also caused his worries to disappear. He just needed Liam and nothing else in the world, if he could just forever be with the brunette man, Niall was sure that he was gonna be more than just alright, that maybe he'd manage to fully move on from everything that had happened, not even having to slightly panic thinking back to the moment they had met. Yeah, if Liam was there, Niall was gonna be just fine.

"Hmmm… I wish I could call in sick to work today and you could skip all your classes and we could just stay here all day long and not move." It was hard knowing that they didn't have a lot of time left anymore when Liam was holding him like that, with his lips pressed against the back of Niall's neck, his hot breath hitting the younger boy's skin whenever he talked, arm wrapped tightly around Niall's waist, not leaving any distance between their bodies underneath the blanket. The fact that they had woken up this morning exactly like they had gone to sleep was Niall's most favorite thing ever, it's like he could still feel Liam whenever he was asleep, could feel him as the last thing he knew before drifting off and the first thing as soon as he woke up.

"I kinda have to go though, I… I'll have some exams really soon and… " Niall didn't wanna make Liam sad, just in case the brunette man had really meant it, so he was quite relieved when he got goosebumps as his boyfriend chuckled softly against his skin, placing another kiss, his hand somehow having ended up underneath the younger boy's shirt, their tangled up legs leaving even less personal room for either of them. Good. 

"I know, baby, it's okay, don't worry. They probably wouldn't trust me on being sick anyways and I don't want you to fail just because I'm so selfish and don't want to let you go." As if to prove it, Liam's arm seemed to tighten even more and it would've been a lie to say that Niall didn't enjoy the hell out of it, his eyes slowly falling closed again, tiredness washing over him once more.

They had woken up maybe fifteen minutes ago, after they had gotten home rather late last night, having spent the whole day walking around in Liam's old hometown, just talking and holding hands and even though Niall had once again fallen asleep in the car on the way back, despite Louis' and Harry's loud voices coming from the back, he was yet again sleepy. That problem may or may not have been increased by Liam's cuddles and the way he had woken Niall up before, placing butterfly soft kisses, palm rubbing circles into the boy's bare skin he found underneath his shirt. "Wouldn't want you to get fired either… "

"I wouldn't anyways, don't worry… " Then there was yet another kiss, almost having Niall pass out for a few seconds or so, jerking a tiny bit when he opened his eyes again. This was gonna be a terribly long day for sure. "Are you sleepy, Ni?"

"Yeah… " Niall could even hear it in his own voice, suppressing a yawn as he tried to press himself back more tightly into Liam, silently praying that they had a few more minutes, nothing seemed more horrible now than having to get out from underneath their warm blanket and from Liam's strong and secure arms, keeping him safe. "… how late is it?"

"About 10 minutes before we usually wake up." 10 minutes sounded awfully short, Niall let his eyes fall closed again though, deciding that it would be worth it still, not managing to really sleep in though because Liam kept up the kisses once more, giving Niall more butterflies than he would have ever thought to be possible. "You know… I wanted to thank you again, for coming home with me and coming to the wedding and meeting my whole family, this really means a lot to me, Ni, and even though their opinions would never change anything, I'm so happy that they all already love you, especially my mum. It just makes me really proud, you know? That we're together and that you're all mine and that you wanna be with me too, I just… I love you so, so much and I know I've been saying that a lot during the past few days, it's just… I'm so happy that I'm allowed to do it." 

Now Niall was surely not gonna fall asleep anymore, his breathing had increased a bit as he was glad that the older man couldn't see his already blushed, hot face. There was nothing in the world that made him feel as warm and loved than whenever Liam would say these things and just carry on as if nothing had even happened, as if this was the most normal thing in the whole world. "I … I love you too and I… t-thank you for wanting to bring me home with you and… introduce me to everyone, I really, um… I loved how much t-time we got to spend together and t-that you were a-always there when I got nervous even if it was silly, but… it really helped and … I don't m-mind if you… if you say it a lot, you know… "

Though Niall always behaved and talked like the biggest idiot in these kinda situations, somehow Liam still managed to chuckle fondly, leaning up a bit on his elbow now so that he could reach the younger boy's cheek with his lips, his stubble lightly scratching over the skin as he spoke without pulling back. "It wasn't silly at all, babe, and of course I'm always there for you, you're the most important thing to me and I'm always gonna make sure that you're alright if I can. That's a promise, alright? And since you like hearing certain words so much… "

For a moment, Niall needed time to let all of this sink in and hope that his heart would't jump right out of his chest before he realized what Liam was softly chuckling about right into the younger boy's skin, immediately causing more heat to rush into Niall's face, his heartbeat increasing almost instantly when Liam tightened his arm even more, hand still underneath the blonde's shirt, fingers dangerously close to his ribcage. "Li… "

Before Niall could prepare himself or maybe catch some more breath, Liam was already tickling him, not really leaving him much room to move to since they were so pressed together, the brunette man's lips still pressed up against Niall's cheek as the younger boy couldn't help but laugh, at the same time feeling rather hot when Liam's lips remained against his cheek, his words almost causing Niall to forget how to breathe. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you… that what you wanted to hear?"

"Liii-" Niall was trying his very hardest to not giggle too hysterically, but he was ticklish as hell and Liam was well aware of that, laughing in between telling the younger boy a few more times how much he loved him, kissing his cheek so many times that the blonde boy was almost positive that his skin was gonna burn later from Liam's stubble scratching over it. Not that he minded, to be quite honest, and even if it got him even more flushed just thinking about it, he quite enjoyed the thought. "Stooop tickling me!"

"But you're so cute, I can't help it, baby." When his fingers stopped lightly poking Niall's ribs, the younger boy used the chance to try and catch some breath, wiggling a bit in Liam's still rather tight grip until the man let him turn onto his back, panting a tiny bit as he stared up into his boyfriend's face above his, not having expected them to be this close. "Sorry… you okay?"

"I… yeah… " Liam's words were still very prominent in Niall's mind, it filled him with warmth whenever the older man told him how much he loved him, he would've smiled had his heart not been beating to fast and had Liam not used Niall's favorite crooked smirk on him before connecting their lips softly, not deepening it to Niall's relief since he hadn't really brushed his teeth yet. "Liam… "

"Hm?" They didn't fully pull apart, Niall kept his eyes close as the brunette man brushed their noses together, placing another kiss into the corner of the younger boy's mouth, fully leaning over him now. 

"I… I love you too… so much… " Without even thinking, Niall wrapped his arms around Liam's neck, to keep him closer, wanting to stay in bed even more now if that was any possible, even if he felt flushed all over and with his heart about to jump right out of his chest, he couldn't have imagined a place on earth he would've rather been at. 

"I know… " Was all Liam mumbled, chuckling right against the younger boy's skin before pulling back, moving his arm a bit that he had been leaning on to reach Niall's hair instead, brushing the blonde fringe out of his forehead slowly, the soft smile still very prominent on his lips. "I can't wait until I come back home tonight… " 

"We didn't even leave yet… " But Niall of course knew what Liam meant, he sometimes had problems concentrating at uni, or having a hard time holding back and not text Liam for the 500th time because of course they both had things to do before they could be home again and together. 

"Yeah, I know, but I kinda miss you already." With another smirk, Liam kissed the younger boy lying underneath him once more, palm cupping Niall's cheek now, dragging his thumb ever so gently over the skin while Niall tried not to be too eager or rip some of Liam's hair out, wanting nothing more than to deepen the kiss but… he really needed to brush his teeth first. "Let's go eat some breakfast, okay? We still got some time, especially if we don't stay in bed for so long… even though it's really tempting." 

More than just that, but Niall nodded anyways, returning Liam's smile now even with a blushed face after the older one had placed a kiss onto his nose like he sometimes did, sitting up then to Niall's displeasure, immediately causing him to feel cold despite the blanket still covering him. How did other people not wake up with frost bites if they didn't have Liam warming them up during the night? 

Niall decided that he didn't want that question answered since he never planned on going to bed without Liam anyways if he didn't have to, his boyfriend stretched both of his arms out towards Niall once he had climbed out of bed, waiting for him to yawn and rub his eyes a little bit before helping him off the mattress, immediately enveloping him into a warm, tight hug. So much about not getting sleepy yet again. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Hmm… I don't care… I can make something." Niall offered, trying his hardest to not half drift off, his head resting on Liam's broad shoulder, eyes falling half closed at the lovely long sweeps over his back and the hand in his, probably really messy, hair. 

"No, I'll do it, I don't want you to fall asleep there and hurt yourself, come on, baby." Parting from Liam was hard, but Niall complied when the older man kissed his forehead, intertwining their fingers and chuckling softly when Niall just rested his head against his arm once more while they were walking, every tiny amount of energy he had had draining from him. "Maybe I should really keep you home, if you're that tired."

"'m fine… just sleepy… " Trying to look a little bit more awake, Niall almost fell down in an attempt to sit on the counter once they were in the kitchen, luckily Liam was there though to support him, his facial expression panicked for a moment before he helped the boy up, shaking his head slowly as he stood between his legs. "Oops… "

"Yeah, oops, Nialler…. are you okay?" He suddenly seemed a bit worried, so Niall made sure to smile as he wrapped his arms around Liam's neck, loosely, trying not to let some embarrassing sounds escape when Liam started threading his fingers through the blonde boy's hair in the way Niall loved, not helping much with his attempts to stay awake.

"Yeah… I always am when I'm with you… " Okay, Niall regretted saying this the second it was out, his face heating up immediately as Liam laughed softly, moving his hands to cup Niall's cheeks instead, almost forcing him to look at him despite his slight embarrassment. 

"Oh, really?" Liam was smirking, even wider when Niall huffed a bit, especially when his boyfriend's smile turned a little bit cheeky, and as if Niall hadn't already been red enough, Liam decided to honestly and seriously _pinch_ his cheeks. "You're so cute."

"Liaaammm, stooop… " Trying to turn his head away while even more blood was streaming into his face, Niall barely managed to, it's not like Liam was pinching his cheeks really hard or anything, but the position they were in wasn't very beneficial for the younger boy either. 

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Still chuckling, Liam simply cupped Niall's face once more before pressing a kiss in the corner of his mouth since the blonde boy had turned his head away. "I'm gonna make you some extra good toast, okay? I love you." 

"Love you too…" It was hard to even pretend to be mad at Liam when he was being like this so Niall simply gave up, turning his head back so Liam could peck his lips properly, lingering for a little bit before stepping away, fingers brushing over Niall's upper thigh, as if his heart hadn't already been bumping fast enough.

Watching Liam doing stuff was somehow one of Niall's favorite things in the world, he just loved staring at the older man's face when he was concentrated, loved seeing his muscles flex a little bit whenever he pick things up, hell, he even loved how blushed his own face got whenever Liam caught him staring, throwing a very knowing grin at him. Niall's favorite part though was when Liam would randomly come over to him, stand between his legs and risk their breakfast burning because he wanted to kiss the younger boy, sometimes stroking his cheek, sometimes resting his hands on Niall's thighs, probably not with any purpose but it still made the younger boy wish they had more time. Way more time.

Breakfast went by too fast, they always somehow managed to waste so much time that they were about to run late in the end, but then brushing their teeth took them ages as well because Liam would always make Niall laugh so much or distract him by pulling him onto his lap when he sat down on the edge of the bathtub. And then of course they had to get dressed too and at least Niall had gotten over his fear of undressing in front of Liam over the weekend because otherwise they would have surely both been late. Plus, now Niall could maybe steal a glance or two at his boyfriend in only boxer shorts as well, not that Liam never went to sleep like this, but… Niall wasn't gonna get tired of the sight anyways.

It did make him want to try other things as well, like, they hadn't done a lot except for the night after the wedding, but now Niall was less nervous about all of this and more eager to go further, he was just secretly hoping Liam was gonna take the initiative one more time because the blonde boy sure as hell would have been too embarrassed.

"Okay, I'll see you later, yeah? I don't have to work very late today, promise." Liam usually didn't drop Niall off at college, but he had insisted on it today for some reason and of course Niall wasn't gonna complain if that meant he could hold the older man's hand a bit longer and talk to him for a few more minutes. Only now it was even harder to leave or to even let go of Liam's hand. 

"Okay… what do you want for dinner?" Maybe Niall was trying to win more time, it didn't really matter if he came a bit late to a lecture, he was just concerned about Liam being late for work because of him, however… Liam didn't seem very eager to get away from him either. 

"I don't mind, whatever you feel like… or if you don't feel like anything, we can also go and get something, whatever you want, Ni." Since their fingers were still intertwined, Liam lifted their hands up to his face, keeping the eye contact as he smiled before pressing a kiss onto the back of Niall's hand before slowly letting go to the younger boy's displeasure, immediately making up for it though. "Come here for a second."

Well, Niall didn't have to be told twice, Liam chuckled about over how quickly the blonde boy had unbuckled his seat belt to lean over into Liam's open arms, a bit clumsy because of them being in a car, but they still managed to hug over two seats, Niall's arms maybe a tiny bit too tight around his boyfriend's neck, breathing in his cologne he had put on before. And luckily he hadn't shaved, whether it was because of lack of time or because Niall would sometimes admit that he liked the stubble would probably remain a mystery. 

They just held onto each other for a while, Niall's head on Liam's shoulder, trying to ignore the fact that he should've already been inside or that Liam should've probably already been at work as well. But it was the older boy who caused them to waste even more time in the end. "Can I get a kiss?"

"Yeah… " The reason why he had asked was because he loved when Niall would kiss him first, the blonde boy knew that yet he still sometimes was too shy to really do it, not now though, when Liam had asked and when his face was so soft as he looked at Niall with that fond look in his eyes as the younger boy had lifted his head, not hesitating to lean back in because not having kissed Liam for about twenty minutes was way too long anyways.

It was just gentle at first, slow, Niall hadn't at all expected them to go further but when he felt Liam's tongue tracing his bottom line he parted his lips immediately with a quiet sigh, welcoming the older man into his mouth, grabbing a handful of brown hair into his fist as he suppressed a moan.

Now they were definitely both running late, especially when Liam's hand dropped down deeper, pulling up the blonde's shirt until he could rub his palm over the bare skin, holding him closer with his free arm, heavy pants escaping both of them as their tongues massaged each other, lips chasing each other.

When they pulled apart due to lack of air, Niall kept his eyes pressed closed, arms still tight around Liam, breathing in the man's familiar scent, their spit slicked lips still barely touching as the brunette mumbled against Niall's skin, his palm rubbing circles underneath Niall's shirt, giving him a million goosebumps. "I love you…always. "

"I love you too, Li… " His breath was going heavy, but Niall still smiled before pressing his mouth onto Liam's once more, still not ready to leave just yet, especially after a weekend like this. Surely, everyone would have agreed if they had had a boyfriend as amazing and perfect as Liam, it was just hard to leave him and be it only for a few hours each day.

In the end, Niall came about fifteen minutes late for his lecture, he did hurry up once he entered the building, having tried his very hardest to not turn around too often after finally managing to get out of the car with a blushed face and very swollen feeling lips, knowing that Liam was waiting for him to get inside and was possibly watching him, just because he always did to make sure the younger boy was safe. It'd be a lie to say that this wasn't causing Niall's heart to bump even faster than it already was anyways. 

Whenever he and Liam had mornings like this, it took Niall ages to somehow get into the whole uni thing, pay attention and actually take notes, which was bad because he didn't even know anyone who he could have asked in case he missed something. Like, he literally didn't talk to anyone at uni, he did see the same people during certain classes and it's not like they were making fun of him or anything, Niall just didn't talk to them really, he was somehow too shy and on the other hand he also didn't think that anyone would have really been happy about him talking to them anyways. 

Ever since he had Liam though, Niall wasn't too depressed about that anymore either, because he had something to look forward to now, he didn't have to go home alone anymore and just wait for time to pass, no, he actually had someone who was gonna cuddle and kiss him and who actually _liked_ him enough to do that. Sometimes waking up, this was still more than just mind blowing to Niall, but Liam was always making sure to somehow get his worries to vanish that the blonde boy had no choice at all but to believe him, especially after he had met the older man's family and after this whole weekend. Honestly, Niall was more than certain that he had never felt more happy in life, and every day just seemed to get better for some reason, who would've ever thought that something so terrifying could lead to the best thing ever?

By now, Niall barely ever dreamed about the guy again, or the whole incident, sure, sometimes it would cross his mind and sometimes he would wake up feeling scared, but Liam was always there to make sure he was alright. And if Niall was by himself at college or something, he knew the older man would always only be a call or a text away, that he'd immediately be there if Niall needed him. Yet still, the blonde boy hadn't actually thought that there'd ever be a need to, since it had almost been 2 months now and he didn't even think about it anymore on a daily basis, not even when he was on his own.

During his last lecture, Niall was already mentally planning out what he could be cooking for dinner tonight, he didn't want Liam to take him out for something to eat, he wanted to make something the older man really liked, even if he'd have to go to the store afterwards, he wouldn't mind it, he had hours to do this anyways. 

There were only about 15 minutes left and the professor was really dragging it out, Niall was sitting in one of the last rows, chewing on his pen, sometimes writing a few things down, his leg going up and down a bit, barely able to wait for finally being allowed to go home. 

A lot of people were obviously skipping since it was usually fuller, there was someone sitting one seat to the left though, one row in front of Niall, his paper was completely blank though, it seemed like he didn't even have a pen to write with. The blonde boy would have given him one, but he only noticed it now that it was almost over, besides, he would've been too shy to say anything anyways.

Checking his phone, Niall looked down a bit, smiling silently as he replied to the text message Liam had sent him before, barely paying any attention anymore since there was no use to anymore anyways, maybe that's why he flinched so terribly at the voice, even if it was just whispering. "Did you get everything he said?"

"Um… " Niall was slightly startled at being talked to, he barely even looked up, feeling heat rushing into his face, not very used to being talked to. "I-I… I think s-so… "

"Do you mind if I take a picture of your notes?" Well, actually Niall did mind, because he knew the guy hadn't been paying attention or even bothered asking for a pen, but he shook his head anyways, just looking up for a tiny second, not enough for him to fully take in the stranger's face, slowly putting his phone down, hand a bit shaky as he turned his notes around for the guy to see. "Great, thanks. What's your name?"

"Uh… Niall." Why would he ask that? Couldn't he just take the picture and let Niall be? For some reason the blonde boy felt really uncomfortable now, there were only about ten minutes left yet they felt like fucking ages, did the guy take his phone out so slowly on pure purpose?

"So, Niall… " He started, a slight change in his voice that had Niall shifting in his seat, almost breaking his pen actually, risking another look at the guy's face since he was studying the blonde boy's notes anyways. Wait… had they met before? "Have you already found a new job after you quit at the coffee place?"

"I… " Maybe Niall was really dumb, maybe he deserved that it hit him out of nowhere, since he hadn't noticed the face right away, hadn't noticed the voice, but as the guy looked up and their eyes met, everything fell into place and Niall felt short of breath all of a sudden, all color draining from his face as he froze, just staring, unable to just move his finger. 

It was _him_.

"I take that as a no." How had he found Niall? How had he sat down exactly in front of him, fucking hell, why here, what was he planning on doing, in a bloody lecture hall, why now, after almost two months, was he… was he planning on killing Niall? Kidnapping him maybe? Oh god… Niall needed to text Liam, he needed to- "I see our last encounter hasn't really turned into anything bad for you."

Honestly, Niall barely heard the man's voice, he was just staring at him, possibly with a dropped jaw, it felt like he had just fallen into one of his nightmares, there was blood rushing in his ears and his heart bumping faster than it ever had. It would've been a wonder had he even been able to make one single sound. Was he gonna die? Like this? Was he just gonna shoot Niall?

"Seems like they're happy I didn't kill you, huh?" Only now did Niall notice that the screen of his phone had lit up once more, and the guy had seen it as well, only briefly looking down though before he smiled at the younger boy, in a way that almost caused his blood to freeze. Liam had texted him back, very obviously for both of them to see. "Don't worry about it, I don't have a problem with you, Niall, I actually think you're quite likable, it's nothing personal, okay? It's just that it'd ruin my plan a little bit if I let you live."

"I-I… w-what… w-what d-do y-you w-want f-from m-me?" Was Niall negotiating about his life here? He had no idea, honestly, all he wanted to do was run, none of these words made any sense to him, he felt seconds from passing out, breath going too quick, his hands getting sweaty as his head started to spin. "P-Please… d-don't k-kill m-me…" 

"Oh, I won't kill you now, Niall, a bit too much of an audience, isn't there? Wouldn't be a lot of fun for me, would it? I just wanted to make sure you don't forget about me since it's been a while, hasn't it? Maybe a bit too long." His words caused shivers to run down Niall's spine, he still hadn't even managed to pick his phone up, scared that the guy was gonna do anything in case he sensed that Niall was about to call for help. Not that Niall would've been able to use his phone anyways when his fingers were being shaky like that, this was probably the worst reaction ever, but he was so shocked and so confused and scared, he just wanted Liam and nothing else. "Anyways, I think it's time for me to go, I'm sure we're gonna see us again soon, Niall, thanks for the notes."

And before the words could even sink in, the professor ended the lecture in the exact moment the guy stood up and walked outside as the first person, everyone starting to talk in the background but all Niall could do was trying to catch his breath and hold those tears in as he reached for his phone, barely even sure anymore whether this had been reality or not.

 

————————

 

"I knew from the beginning that you were so gonna fall for him, Liam, me and Louis wanted to make bets but it's just been so obvious, there wasn't even a need to anymore. Anyways, I think it's great and-"

"Harry, we've been talking about this for hours now, and last night in the car as well, I think I already understood that you think me and Niall make a good couple." Liam rolled his eyes at Harry still going off about this in the passenger seat, the disadvantages of having a quiet day without anything exciting happening, it just meant they were in the car together all day, talking. "See, and you're asking me why I didn't call you the minute it happened, because I knew you'd never stop talking about it again."

"I'm just happy for you, mate, no need to freak out. All I was saying is that I was hoping for a long time that you were gonna find someone and obviously he's perfect for you because it seems like he needs someone as well. Louis agrees by the way, I hope you don't mind that he's probably told Zayn by now, I mean… it's really cute, I think Zayn will agree." As if Liam cared about that, he just suppressed a sigh, keeping his eyes on the road, only listening with one ear anyways, they had had too much free time today, already having gone through the whole wedding twice and now they were at this topic again. Only three more hours, then Liam could go home and be with his baby, he didn't even know how he had survived before having something he looked forward to as much as being with Niall.

"I don't care who knows, I just don't know how we've managed to talk about this for an hour straight now." Truth was, it made Liam miss Niall even more, he hated being away from the boy more than anything, even if they texted sometimes, he was still painfully worried about him. It's just, Niall was so small and sweet and innocent and sometimes a bit helpless, Liam just always wanted to have the boy wrapped in his arms and safe, keep him from any harm in this world that might happen to him. Clearly though, that wasn't gonna happen.

"I don't know, just wanna make sure you know how much Louis and I support you, you know." Harry shrugged when Liam threw a look over, as if he was pretending to be pouting now, which he clearly wasn't though because not five seconds later he was already on it again. "Just wondering… since he's so young and all, he also seems kinda inexperienced, like… has he ever had a relationship before you?"

"Why do you care about that?" It was kinda obvious anyways, Liam sighed deeply, taking a turn now, almost hoping for getting a call and a place to be sent to, maybe a robbery or something, anything harmless would be nice now.

"I don't know, I'm just asking, Liam, jesus, no need to be so sensitive. It's just really cute, to think about how much younger he is, and looks, and how you're showing him stuff and all… like, maybe some of that stuff is not exactly cute but rather gross, however-"

"Haz, stop it, okay? I really do not wanna talk about mine or Niall's sex life now or-"

"You mean, _your_ sex life, his and yours together because I-"

" _Anyways_ , I don't wanna talk about, alright? Let's just drop it, I'm not asking you this kinda stuff either." Not that Harry would've been shy to talk about it, Liam regretted saying this because his friend already had his mouth open, getting interrupted after one word though as Liam's phone went off. His private phone. "Can you pick up for me? If it's my mum don't take it, she's probably telling me we forget something and I really don't wanna drive there again."

"Okay… it's Niall." Well, that was slightly surprising, Liam's heart skipped a beat but he still gestured for Harry to pick up, since he had to drive, trying not to look too disappointed or stressed out about this. It'd be fine, maybe he had just called on accident. "Hey, Niall, this is Harry, Liam's driving, he- …. wait, wait, calm down, okay? What happened?"

Almost immediately, Liam jumped into panic mode, hearing Harry's voice change like that, clearly showing him that something was wrong. It had to be, or Niall wouldn't have called in the first place, shit. "Put him on speaker."

"Yeah, I-… Niall, wait, I'm gonna put you on speaker, okay? It's fine, yeah? One second, I-… no, I won't hang up, just… " Liam was seconds from pulling the car over now, Harry's voice sounded more than just stressed out as he promised Niall once more that he could still hear him, almost having Liam ripping the phone out of his hands because he needed to know what was happening with Niall right at this second. "Niall, can you hear me?"

And then Liam's heart just fucking broke when Harry had managed to put Niall on speaker, straight on having the younger boy sob into the phone, he was fucking crying! "Y-Yes… "

"I-"

"Ni, I'm here, it's okay, what's wrong, baby? What happened, where are you?" Liam just interrupted Harry, he didn't care, he couldn't stop anywhere because there were too many cars, but he was about to just turn around somewhere and drive to wherever Niall was, even if that'd get him fired or something, he'd do anything to make sure his boy was alright. 

"L-Liam… I-I'm s-still a-at c-college, I-I… p-please g-get m-me, I-I'm s-so s-scared, I-I…-" Then Niall had a really bad coughing fit and Liam was already pulling into the right street after hearing what Niall was choking out between shaky breaths, already expecting the very worst. To be fair though, Liam wasn't at all prepared for what he heard. "L-Li… h-he w-was t-there, h-he… h-he t-talked t-to m-me, I-I… I-I d-don't k-know w-what t-to d-do… "

"Fuck… Ni, just stay where you are, okay? Where is he? Did he leave, do we need back up? What happened? We're already on the way, okay? I'll be there in a second, it's gonna be okay, Nialler, I promise, everything will be fine, I'm almost there." Liam couldn't fucking believe this, everything just came back crushing down, all the theories he had had suddenly popped up again, almost having him hit speed limit, he didn't fucking care, he just needed to get to Niall, make sure he wasn't in danger anymore because Liam would never be able to forgive himself. 

"I-I'm o-on t-the s-stairs i-in f-front o-of t-the m-main e-entrance… H-He l-left… h-he s-said t-that… t-that h-he w-was g-gonna k-kill m-me, I-I… L-Liam, p-please h-hurry…" Shit. How could anyone have dropped this case? How dare his boss had stopped looking for this guy?! He could've killed Niall, a second time already, he was running around, completely free, after killing two people and now he had managed to actually find Niall, at college, like… what else did he know?! 

"I am, baby, I promise, okay? Don't go anywhere where there are no people and stay on the phone with me, alright? We're only two streets away, it'll be okay, I'm here, I won't let him hurt you." Liam refused to look over at Harry when there were tears burning in his eyes, he hadn't done a very good job at keeping Niall safe, had he? How could they have ever thought it'd be alright for the younger boy to go to college by himself or go anywhere really? Liam hated himself for ever letting the boy out of his sight, it was like a punch into the stomach, thinking about what the guy could've done to Niall today, maybe Liam would've never been able to talk to his boy again, maybe he would have gotten home tonight, completely clueless and… he didn't even want to think about it.

They got there in record time, Liam tried to say something soothing to Niall, tried to calm the sobbing boy down, which was hard when he himself felt on the edge of either crying or punching himself in the face, hard, for being so careless and having let this happen. There was no way he was gonna let anyone drop this case again, no fucking way.

Of course they drew a lot of attention on them, the fact alone that they were in a police car was enough, but them getting out in front of a college with tons of students caused everyone to turn their heads even more. And then of course, once Liam could see Niall where the boy had told him he was at and was finally okay with hanging up the phone, they drew even more attention on them when Niall jumped up, half running towards Liam before throwing himself at the older man, sobbing into his uniform now, almost strangling him with how tightly he was holding on. "L-Li… "

"Shh, it's okay, baby, everything's okay, I'm here, no one is gonna hurt you, I'm keeping you safe… " Liam felt tears welling up once more, burying his face in the blonde hair as he tried to suppress them, wrapping the younger boy up into a tight hug, completely ignoring what was going on around them, he didn't care, Harry was gonna deal with that, Liam had other problems. Way bigger ones. "Baby… you have to tell me what happened, okay? Did he touch you? Hurt you?"

"N-No… h-he j-just… " Niall could barely even bring one word out without half choking to death, so Liam gave him time, his heart hurting from seeing his boyfriend like this, not knowing what to do while blaming himself for all of this. How could Liam have just assumed that everything would be fine? This was his job, he should've known but he had put Niall into such danger, the one person that meant everything to him, he could've lost him, just because of this. 

"He what, Ni?" Rubbing the boy's back, Liam pressed a few hopefully comforting kisses onto the top of Niall's head, looking up now to see Harry telling a few people to keep walking, that there was nothing to see, he already had picked up Niall's bag from the stairs as well and Liam almost managed to relax for a few seconds. Almost.

"H-He… w-was i-in m-my l-lecture, h-he… s-sat i-in f-front o-of m-me a-and t-then… h-he s-started t-talking t-to m-me a-and I-I d-didn't k-know a-at f-first a-and t-then… h-he s-saw y-your t-text t-to m-me a-and… h-he s-said… h-he'd… k-kill m-me a-and-"

"Ni, sh, it's okay, I'm here, he won't do anything to you, okay? I promise, he won't touch you, he won't hurt you, I'm here and I'm making sure of that, yeah? You don't have to be scared, baby boy, I'm so sorry this happened, I… I'll never forgive myself for letting this happen, but we're gonna catch him, I promise, for real this time, he's not gonna do anything to anyone anymore, ever. I'm here, baby, it's okay, I won't let go of you." Not that Liam would have survived letting the boy out of his sight or just pull away, he was rocking him softly, ignoring all the looks they were getting or the fact that he and Harry should've been driving and been on duty, but then again, Liam was so angry at his boss that he would have loved to have a fight with him, right at this second. And maybe he would. "Haz, we gotta go to the station."

"Yeah, I know… is he okay?" Well, everyone could clearly see that Niall was anything but okay, his sobs had quietened a little bit, but he was still clutching to Liam's uniform for his dear life, shaking like crazy, it almost seemed to be worse now than it had been the very first time they had met. Only the fact that he was clinging to Liam for the exact same reason hadn't changed in any way. 

"I… I don't know, I just… they have to find that arse, and I'm gonna do it myself if I have to, I can't-"

"N-No!" When Niall lifted his head, Liam's already broken heart shattered into even more pieces at seeing the boy's red and wet face, not even knowing what to do first so he just kept holding onto Niall's waist, every sniff or sob feeling like a punch in the guts. "I-I d-don't… w-want h-him t-to h-hurt y-you… "

"Niall… " Hesitating for a second, Liam felt even more tears welling up as he watched his boyfriend crying, at the same time feeling his chest getting tight at the words that had come out of the boy's mouth, his fingers still curled into Liam's clothes, more tears spilling over as he stared up at the older man. "He won't hurt me, baby, I promise, he won't, okay? And he won't hurt you either, I'm gonna make sure of that, alright? I promise, everything is gonna be fine, Nialler."

"B-But… p-please d-don't g-go l-looking f-for h-him, I-I… s-stay w-with m-me… " Of course, Liam couldn't go looking for the guy when Niall was glued to him like that, he probably also wouldn't be allowed to anyways, but that didn't change the fact that Liam wanted to be the one who caught him, for everything he had done to his boy, this asshole deserved the very worst. 

"Shsh, I'm always staying with you, babe, it's okay, I'm here and I won't leave you alone, okay?" At least for now, plus Liam would never leave if he didn't know that Niall was 100% safe, but the blonde boy trusted his words, nodding shakily while sniffing, letting Liam try to wipe some of the tears away with his thumbs, carefully underneath the boy's eyes before leaning down to press a kiss onto his forehead. "We're gonna drive to the station now, okay? I promise you can sit with me in the back and I'm not gonna leave you alone at any point, yeah?"

"O-Okay… m-my b-bag… " Before Niall could even turn around to look for it, rubbing a hand over his cheek in an attempt to dry it, Liam had already softly unclenched the boy's second hand from around him as well, pulling him tightly into his side with an arm around his shoulders, not at all surprised when Niall's immediately wrapped around his waist. 

"Harry has it, it's okay, love." Speaking of him, Harry was still busy sending people away, but he quickly caught up to them, walking on Niall's other side, his hand on the blonde boy's back to Liam's relief, hopefully making him feel that little bit safer. 

"I'm gonna drive now, okay?" See, as many dumb jokes Harry would sometimes make, he still knew when to be serious, Liam threw a very thankful glance at him, having a kinda hard time walking because of Niall clinging to him like that. Not that he didn't understand that or wanted the boy to back away, the complete opposite actually, he just couldn't stand the thought of this man running around here somewhere, possibly still a danger to anyone, and knowing that hours were gonna pass before anyone would actually do anything about it. 

IF they would decide to do anything at all, which was Liam's biggest fear right now, he didn't fucking care that everyone was gonna find out about him and Niall, he was just concerned about what his boss was gonna think about Niall telling the whole story, probably while crying and shaking and clinging to Liam. Would they even take it seriously? And if they didn't… what the fuck was Liam supposed to do?

 

———————

 

"Okay, so… are you sure that that was the same guy? I remember when we had a suspect and you weren't sure about who he was, it didn't really seem like you were that sure what he really looks like." Liam's boss leaned back into his seat, he seemed not at all bothered by any of this and Liam felt anger boiling up inside of him, he had known this would happen, had known that even though Niall was clearly terrified and not even able to part from Liam for two seconds without panicking wouldn't be enough to get anyone to do anything. 

"I-I… " Niall had managed to stop crying, but his voice was still shaky, he had barely been speaking on the way here in the car, just cuddling into Liam's side and pressing his eyes closed, never letting go of the older man's hand when they had gotten to the police station, eyes on the floor. To be honest, Liam was just proud that the boy had even managed to explain the whole thing out loud to his boss, even if he had had a hard time staying quiet throughout it because Niall hadn't told him the whole story either. Yet again, it just showed Liam that none of this had been a simple robbery, this had been planned, all of it, and he felt like he should've known what this was about, he felt like he was missing something really important here but he just wasn't able to connect the pieces.

"Of course he's fucking sure. Who would know about the incident? No one, who would bloody threaten to _kill_ him? He knows, the guy knows everything, we can't just sit here and do nothing at all!" Liam had had enough, he needed his boss to believe him this one time, just this once, because he couldn't go back home now not knowing what was gonna happen tomorrow when he said goodbye to Niall. He couldn't leave the boy alone, not until they had this guy.

"Liam, please, I was asking the witness, not you." Of course the chief knew that something must've been going on between Niall and Liam, it was kinda obvious, plus they were holding hands the whole time and Niall looked like he wanted to jump onto Liam's lap, yet there hadn't been any questions concerning that, not that it mattered anyways. "So, Niall… are you absolutely sure that it was him?"

"Y-Yes… " The hand in Liam's was shaking, it was killing him but there was nothing he could've done, just watching Niall's face from the side was painful enough, so he threw a look back to the closed door where Harry was standing leaned against the door, shaking his head slowly for whatever reason.

"Alright. And he was talking about how it was his plan to kill you but it had nothing to do with you? Then who would it had have anything to do with?" Well, if they knew that they wouldn't have been sitting here, like, for some reason Liam was almost thinking that it was HIM the stranger was trying to harm, but… why would he? 

"I-I d-don't know… he… he s-saw m-my phone and… L-Liam t-texted me and h-he… h-he s-saw the name a-and… " Then Niall broke off, probably because he wasn't sure if he was even allowed to say anything about this, throwing a very scared and unsure look at Liam, causing him to sigh quietly, comfortingly squeezing the boy's hand before looking at his boss instead, who was probably already thinking the exact same thing Liam was about to say.

"I texted Niall and the guy saw it and he… well, he figured we had something to do with each other." Saying it like this was strange, but this was serious and it's not like it was a crime to be in a relationship or anything. 

"And do you have something to do with each other?" Without changing his facial expression from anything but professional, Liam's boss leaned back in his seat, never looking away from the brunette man as he waited for an answer, very clearly planning on getting loud if Liam refused. 

"Yes, but why does it mat-"

"It matters because if you two are in fact… together or at least at a first name basis, then I'm gonna assume that your name in Niall's phone is not _Officer Payne_ or anything that would give away who you are. So, can I please see the text message?" Well, he did have a point that Liam hadn't really considered before, so he just nodded shortly when Niall threw a questioning look at him, obviously waiting for Liam to agree before getting his phone out. The only one who would have a reason to get embarrassed about this was Liam for the content of the message… well, Niall's flushed cheeks maybe were a tiny hint that he wasn't too happy about any of this either and Liam was suddenly pretty sure that he knew exactly how his name was saved in Niall's phone. Possibly with a heart or two. 

"Um… h-here… " Niall's hand was still shaking like crazy as he handed the phone over with the open text message, still squeezing Liam's fingers almost painfully tight, sitting on the edge of the chair, clearly more than just nervous, his leg going up and down ever since they had sat down. 

It took a second or two before the chief had quickly read over it, there wasn't much to see of course, but still enough so that everyone who had no idea would've known immediately about what was going on between Niall and Liam. The 'I love you' at the end in particular maybe wasn't really making a secret about any of it. "Just like I thought… if what Niall said is true then that means he knows a lot more about him than we thought and if he knows about the two of you then you either haven't been very subtle or he has done some serious research."

None of this sounded very calming, Liam wanted to just wrap Niall up in his lap and never let him go again, promise him that it'd be fine, but… he couldn't really do that here, he needed to be convincing, make sure his boss believed the story because it was the fucking truth after all. "That's what I've been saying all along and no one fucking believed me! You just dropped the case, you almost got Niall k-"

"Liam, please calm down, okay? There's no use in screaming around now, I hear what you're saying and I think I can tell how serious a situation is or isn't, it's just… very hard to pick up a case again, you know that, Liam, it's been two months and we don't have anything more than we had back then… well, unless Niall can remember his face more clearly now and we can make a sketch of it, that'd at least be a start." At least it didn't sound too much like he didn't care one bit, Liam was well aware that there was nothing they really had to find this guy, and also that probably no one cared as much as he did, just… that didn't mean they could let a killer run around here without any intention of trying to catch him for god's sake! "I'm gonna send someone to the college, maybe someone has noticed something, and I'm gonna need Niall to help us make a sketch of the guy, and of course we can make sure he is safe, but… he probably is with you anyways, if I'm not mistaken." 

"He's safe with me." Liam confirmed, squeezing the boy's hand once more, throwing a very fake smile at Niall that didn't get returned of course. There was no one in this world that deserved any of this less than Niall, no one, he was so innocent and he had been through so many bad things already, Liam just wanted to make all of it go away and not have his boy worry about anything ever again. But he couldn't and knowing that he had to watch Niall suffer and be scared without being able to do anything at all was the worst thing of it all. Especially after things had gone so well, after their weekend together and Niall getting so much more comfortable around him, it could've been perfect. "I can't let him go to college tomorrow, I can't-"

"We can talk about this, I actually want to talk to you anyways, but alone, if that's possible." Not really, Liam felt the tension going through Niall's body even though they had a distance between them since they obviously couldn't sit in one chair, sadly, but he knew that this was gonna happen, he had just hoped it could've been avoided because obviously Niall wasn't gonna like this very much. 

"I'd rather have Niall and Harry staying here actually." Harry had stayed quiet the whole time but he did come closer now, slowly, the expression on his face softening a little bit as he stood next to Niall and Liam realized that he actually had no idea what his best friend was thinking about any of this.

"Me and Niall can wait in front of the door, he's safe with me, Li, promise. It's okay, Niall, it'll only be for a few minutes, alright? Liam will be with you in a second, come on, I'm with you, it'll be fine." The chief nodded at Harry when he waited for permission and Liam's heart dropped a little bit when he saw Niall's face fall, his hand shaking that tiny bit more as he looked from Harry to Liam, a pleading expression on his face. Shit. 

"L-Li… " God, this voice was gonna kill Liam at some point, he tried to be reasonable here though, he knew that it was better if Harry and Niall left for a few minutes, knew that this was gonna have to happen anyways, better just get it over with. 

"I won't take longer than ten minutes, baby, I promise, okay? You're gonna be safe, Harry is protecting you, I know he will, and I'm just in the other room and after that I won't leave you again, okay? Come here, Nialler." Hesitating for a second, Liam decided to screw it as he carefully let go of Niall's hand before wrapping the boy up in his arms as far as that was possible, not minding the audience they had as he pressed his lips up against his boyfriend's forehead, closing his eyes for a second as he felt Niall hugging back, the shaking decreasing the tiniest bit as Liam whispered into his ear, only for him to hear. "I love you, baby boy, it's gonna be okay… "

"Love you t-too… " Niall sniffed, probably a bit louder than Liam, but the brunette man didn't care, all he cared about was his boy's well being and nothing else, and if they had to be apart for a few minutes in order to do this then they were gonna have to get through this.

Liam kept on holding for as long as he thought Niall needed, heart aching a bit as he did have to pull back in the end though and saw the boy's terrified face, he felt like the worst person in the world for doing this, but what choice did he have really? None at all, plus, this was still better than the thought of tomorrow, because Liam was 99% sure that he was gonna have more than just a hard time to convince his boss.

It took another short kiss before Niall allowed Liam to fully let go of him and walk outside with Harry, it almost fucking killed Liam to watch the blonde boy shortly, seeing how much smaller he looked compared to Harry, it almost hurt to turn his head away again once the door had closed behind them, barely giving Liam a second to even prepare for the next step. "Did you even bring him home at all?"

"No." Why would Liam lie about that anyways, besides, his boss didn't seem to be mad at all, in fact, his facial expression hadn't really changed ever since they had come in and it didn't really go against Liam's contract to be in a relationship with Niall, so why would he try to hide it? 

"How long has this been going on?" He made some gesture with his hand, obviously NOT referring to Niall staying with Liam since he knew about that obviously, so Liam just shrugged, he wasn't too keen on this conversation, he would've rather talked about the obvious important thing. 

"About a week, I… I don't think that's relevant in any way though." It totally wasn't, it was just because Liam was kinda close to his boss, plus maybe the situation was kind of strange as well, but they clearly had bigger things to discuss here. "I can't let him go there alone anymore and you know that, you know he didn't make that up or anything, the guy fucking tracked him down and waited for him, he possibly knows about me as well and god knows what else. He told him this was his plan, he went there and told Niall he was planning on finding him again, we have to catch him, we're the fucking police, I know you're gonna say I'm biased because I'm close to Niall but I know that this is serious, I… I really think there is more to this than we thought and I know I said that already a year ago, but… this time I know it and you do as well, there's just too much off about this whole thing."

"Look, Liam… " There was a deep sigh that got the brunette man slightly nervous, he couldn't have his boss backing out again, he kinda understood last time, when the thing with his girlfriend had happened and they literally hadn't had ANY proof at all for it not being an accident, but this right here… this was different and Liam couldn't lose Niall, not ever, but especially not like this, he wouldn't survive it, wouldn't survive the guilt that was already starting to eat him alive. "There are only so many things we can do and you know it. I'm gonna have the boy try and remember the guy as clearly as possible so we can at least make a digital picture of him and then we'll see what happens. I'd say you take him home with you again but since he's staying with you already… I don't think he could be safer with anybody else."

"But what about tomorrow and any day after that? He knows Niall's college, possibly knows all of his classes, I can't let him go there by himself." What Liam wanted to ask, but didn't know how to, was whether they'd at least give him three days or so off so he could go with Niall, but that wasn't gonna happen of course, not even if you were one of the chief's favorites'.

"I'm gonna think of something, alright? Nothing will happen to him, I'm sure we'll find a solution and we're gonna get him eventually, if Niall has been that close to him he has to remember him even better now, maybe he recognized something odd or whatever about his face or his clothes, anything helps." Didn't sound too convincing, but Liam knew better than to keep pushing, this was the best he could've hoped for and if he kept his mouth shut for now then maybe he'd be able to talk to his boss again later and convince him to get a few days off. Right now, it didn't seem very much like that was gonna happen. "Go and calm the boy down a little bit, he's gotta try and remember as best as he can." 

"Yeah… " There was nothing left to say, Liam suppressed a sigh before slowly getting up, rubbing his palms on his upper thighs, feeling hot in his uniform and eager to go back outside to Niall, knowing exactly that the boy couldn't stand to be away from him for this long. Liam felt quite the same the other way around. "I'll see you later then…thanks."

"Liam, wait, one second." Stopping in the movement, Liam tried his hardest to not be too extremely annoyed, it was only for a minute or so longer, he'd be able to survive it, and hopefully, Niall would too. "I know that what happened with your girlfriend was… unimaginably difficult for you and I know it's been effecting you ever since and I have to admit that I didn't quite believe you at first when you thought there was more to this as well, but… I can see it now, Liam, and we're gonna look into it, I promise. I'm not gonna put you on the case, you're too involved, but I also quite feel like it wouldn't be good, this seems to be too personal. Just go and be with the boy, I'm sure he needs you now."

"He does… " At least that was a beginning, Liam tried to return his boss' smile before going those few last meters to the door, not being able to help his heart bumping that bit faster at just the thought of being able to pull Niall into his arms once more. It was almost strange, how he could suddenly think and talk about the accident a year ago without having to flinch yet the though of anything happening to Niall almost made it hard to breathe. No one had ever meant this much to Liam, not even his girlfriend who he had planned his whole life with, he only wanted Niall, nothing else, this boy was Liam's everything and he was gonna do anything to protect him.

Just barely being outside the door and already being enveloped in a tight hug and a 'Liam!' was all he really needed as he wrapped Niall up in his arms, ignoring whoever was watching them because none of that mattered anymore, all that mattered was that no one was ever gonna touch Liam's boy, no matter what he'd have to do in order to keep him safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, sorry for taking ages to update this story, i promise its gonna go a lot faster now and i hope you all still wanna know how the story develops, thank you for being sp patient!


	13. Chapter 13

Niall didn't know what to do or how to behave, he felt terrified of just talking to anybody that wasn't Liam, also, he felt the pressure that was on him as they asked him to describe the man's face. He didn't even _want_ to remember him, but they said it was necessary, that this was the only thing they really had. Too bad that Niall had been way too scared to properly look the man into the face, he did remember him, but not very clearly, plus, he also wasn't very good at explaining it to someone else, not even while Liam was right behind him, his hand soothingly rubbing up and down Niall's arms, warm chest against the younger boy's back.

Deep down, Niall was well aware that it would be more than just hard to find the guy, they hadn't until now so how would they suddenly be able to? Niall wasn't dumb, he knew the worried look on Liam's face he had whenever he thought the blonde boy couldn't see. There was no way in hell Niall was gonna go to college tomorrow, or anytime this week, he didn't care if he failed, he just didn't want to end up dead or tied up in the basement of this creepy guy.

His hopes about Liam being able to stay with him were very low though, Niall already tried to internally prepare himself for having to be home alone tomorrow, all day long, with every door locked, probably for the next month or so. What in god's name were they supposed to do?!

"Come on, baby, let's go home." Liam's kinda beaten down voice and his half hearted smile weren't exactly calming, he seemed to be as clueless and desperate as Niall, he was just better at overplaying it. 

Niall didn't answer, he just slipped his fingers through Liam's, holding on tightly while keeping his head down, even if there was no need to anymore, they had been here for about 3 hours or something and Niall was sure that by now everyone knew about it anyways. Hopefully Liam didn't mind too much that all his co workers knew about their relationship now, but he didn't cut back with touches or kisses at all so Niall had figured it'd be alright to be glued to his side, not that he'd be able to stay away, Liam was the only source of comfort Niall had, the only one he felt somewhat safe with. When Liam had left him alone with Harry before, Niall had almost thought he was gonna die right there so he had been more than just relieved when Liam told him he had changed his mind about talking to his boss once more before leaving.

"How are you feeling?" The older man's voice was more than just worried, he was squeezing Niall's hand softly, dropping a kiss onto the top of his head while they were walking through the station, towards the exit, which would cause Niall to half panic probably once they actually walked through. If there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was going outside, into the open, where anyone could've attacked him from every angle.

"Um… okay… " Of course Niall knew that Liam was gonna know it was a lie, but he wanted to at least try and not be a complete baby. As if that wasn't already more than just obvious.

There was a sigh and the older man pulled Niall a bit closer to him by his hand when they were walking past someone, his thumb rubbing circles over the back of the blonde's hand. "You don't have to lie, you know, I… I'm not feeling very great now either. But, Ni… it's gonna be fine, yeah? Even if it doesn't seem like it now, but it will be, I know it. Do you feel safe with me?"

"Yeah… of course." There was no person or place in this world that would've made him feel safer than Liam did… well, maybe some far away island that no one was able to reach, ever. But it would've quite terrible if Liam wouldn't be there as well. "I… I wouldn't wanna be anywhere or with anyone except for you… "

"Okay… thank you, Nialler." His voice had gotten softer, more than it had already been anyways, there was another kiss planted on the top of Niall's head, warm breath giving him shivers as it hit his scalp. "I will never let anything happen to you, and if it's the last thing I do, I swear you'll be safe and you don't have to be scared of anything in this world, not as long as I'm here. I love you so much, I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you, I wouldn't survive it."

"I … I l-love you too, Li, I-"

"Liam, wait!" Harry interrupted their kind of deep conversation, causing a sigh to escape the older man, but he stopped walking, pulling Niall closer into him as he did, slowly letting go of his hand to wrap his arm around the blonde boy instead, and then his second one too until Niall didn't feel too vulnerable anymore but rather safe in Liam's warm embrace. "Hey, sorry, I just… I thought you'd say something before you leave."

"Yeah… sorry, I wasn't really thinking about that, I just wanna bring Niall home and… make sure he gets something to eat." They probably both weren't going to eat anything any time soon, but Niall knew Liam just wanted to leave, even if the blonde boy was slightly nervous about that, he wasn't gonna say it out loud of course. 

"Of course, I just wanted to tell you that… you can call me or Louis anytime, you know that right? Whatever happens or whenever, we'll be there, that also counts for you Niall, I thought you should maybe have our numbers too, just in case, you know, if Liam can't pick up or whatever." Of course he was just trying to be nice but… it did get the blonde boy thinking for a second, imaging a scenario where he would actually have to take this offer and it caused shivers to run down his spine as he pressed closer into Liam. 

"Okay, yeah, maybe that's a good idea… you okay with that, Ni?" Niall wasn't very sure how comfortable he felt now that they thought it would be necessary for him to have all their numbers, but of course he got his phone out of his pockets to hand it over to Harry, grabbing onto Liam's wrist then to make sure the older man kept holding him, but also a little bit because he felt better while clinging to his boyfriend.

"Alright, here you go. It'll be fine, Niall, nothing can happen when you're with Liam, right?" Right, but that wasn't exactly the problem, Niall still nodded though, thinking about how he wasn't scared about being alone with Liam at the man's apartment but rather about the moment they were gonna have to part again. "I guess I'll see you soon, Li? Are you… coming to work tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet, I'll call the chief later and we'll talk about it, I guess." There was a shrug that Niall could only feel due to the fact that he was so close to Liam, not very much liking how his boyfriend's arms started to slip then, forcing him to let go of his wrist even though Liam turned his hand immediately to slip his fingers through Niall's once more. "I'll text you later, okay? Thanks again, Haz." 

"Of course, Liam… take care, yeah?" His facial expression was slightly worried before Niall turned his head away, not even having managed a smile for Harry, it's not like there was a need to pretend now anyways, though none of them had been there and seen the guy, Niall's hysterical behavior had probably given them a really good idea of how it's been like. 

Stepping outside wasn't quite as terrifying as Niall had thought, but only because he could cling to Liam's hand and also a little bit because his boyfriend still had his uniform on, which made him look quite a bit more scary, but also, Niall could feel the gun on Liam's belt pressing into his side and though he wasn't quite sure whether it was real or ready to be used, it slightly calmed him down. 

"That okay?" Liam was being more than just sweet once they were alone, walking Niall to the passenger side of the car, holding his hand all while the blonde boy was sitting down, and then to top it all off, he even helped him with his seatbelt. Maybe this should've been ridiculous, but somehow it was exactly what Niall needed and he was so thankful that Liam seemed to magically know that without having to be told.

"Yeah… thank you, Li… " Maybe it was dumb, but Niall had to actually suppress the urge to turn around and check the backseat, but it'd be fine, right? No one would've been able to get into the car anyways, they were gonna be just fine, and Liam was there, he would never let anything happen to Niall. As long as he was there to prevent the thing from happening of course.

"Don't thank me, baby, it's okay… we'll just go home now and then we're gonna eat something if you want to, I can make you whatever, alright? Or we can just watch some TV and cuddle and I'm not gonna let go of you ever again, sound good?" It did sound good, Liam smiled a rather real looking smile at Niall before leaning down to peck his lips softly, then his temple as well, lips pressing up against the younger boy's skin, his fingers brushing over Niall's bare arm. "I love you."

"Love you… " So much, Niall had no idea what he would've been doing shouldn't he have had Liam looking after him like that and seriously caring about him this way, god… just imaging he would've still stayed at his own flat, like, Niall would've been way too scared to even think of calling the police. He would've probably been dead within a day or something. 

Liam threw another smile at him, one that caused butterflies to erupt in Niall's tummy, even though maybe it wasn't the most appropriate time, because he still started shivering a tiny bit when Liam softly closed the door before walking around the car, around the front, maybe so Niall could see him, but the blonde boy still felt his chest getting tight, and that tightness wouldn't loosen until Liam was sitting next to him again, with their intertwined hands in Niall's lap. 

Sometimes their drives would be quiet, whenever Niall was close to falling asleep, which he was kinda often, but this time was different, this time they just didn't have a lot to say, and it had nothing to do with each other, it was simply the fact that Niall was still beyond freaked out and Liam knew better than to interrupt the younger boy's trail of thoughts. There wasn't anything he could've said to make it better and they both knew it, Liam could be there and he could hold Niall and kiss him and temporarily make him feel safe, but not even he could change the past or predict what was going to happen. Not knowing what that was was pretty darn scary.

"I still think you should eat something." Liam sighed when Niall once more shook his head, kinda scared his voice was gonna break away if he actually spoke up, the way from the car to Liam's apartment hadn't been the best thing for him, he was just glad when the older man locked the front door behind them, arm still around Niall. "Would you at least eat a little bit if I make you something? Or try, for me?"

"I… I'm really not hungry, Li… " Of course Niall would've forced himself to eat in case Liam really made him something, but to be quite honest, his stomach was already rebelling at the thought, he just wanted to be close to Liam and do nothing else, just talk to him, anything so he wouldn't have time to overthink everything again. What was the use anyways, there was nothing Niall could've done, nothing at all.

"Alright… maybe later. What do you wanna do then, hm? Watch a movie?" Liam was trying so hard, pulling Niall against his chest before they had even taken their shoes off, one arm tight around the boy's waist while he lifted his free hand to brush Niall's fringe out of his forehead, placing a kiss on the exposed skin. 

"We can watch one… if you want… " Niall didn't want everything to only be about him, but it was anyways because Liam was so extremely sweet and caring, he always only cared about Niall and not himself, it was more than just flattering however the blonde boy cared about Liam just as much. "Um… we can also do whatever you want, you know… I-"

"No, I wanna do whatever you need, Nialler, just tell me what it is and I'll try my best, okay? I don't care what we do, I just wanna be with you and make sure you're alright." See? It was hard not to play after Liam's rules, which were pretty simple, Niall just always came first and whenever there was the tiniest thing wrong, Liam was determined to fix it. Since this was more than just a tiny thing, of course he was even more eager to comfort Niall and it'd be a lie to say the blonde boy wasn't already feeling a little bit better just because of that. 

"Okay… can we just… go lie in bed?" Then at least Niall wouldn't have to get up anymore today, and he could lie in Liam's arms, probably once again becoming witness of just how great the brunette man was at cuddling.

"Of course we can, love. Come on, lets get our shoes off." There was another kiss, this time on Niall's nose, causing him to look away from Liam's chest and instead look up into his eyes, a bit surprised to see the older boy almost genuinely smiling down at him. "I can make you some hot chocolate or something, whatever you want that makes you feel better."

"Thanks, Li… I'm good for now, but… thank you so much, you always put me above everything and… I really appreciate it, I'd be going crazy without you." Which was more than just true, the confession caused Niall's cheeks to warm up but he didn't lower his eyes for once, deciding that the slight blush was way worth seeing Liam smile like that, fingers still threading through Niall's hair, softly, keeping him close with a firm arm. 

"I'd do anything for you, baby, you know that, anything you ask me for." Before Niall could really react, fingers curled into Liam's uniform that he had still on, the older man's smile had turned into a grin and he leaned down a little bit further, causing Niall's eyes to flutter closed automatically as he brushed their lips together, only barely at first before applying a bit more pressure, hand slipping to cup the back of Niall's head.

It took maybe a bit longer than normally for Niall to relax into the kiss, he desperately needed the distraction though so he immediately gave in to Liam's begging tongue, jaw relaxing as he arched his body into the older boy's, arms curling around his neck. Kissing Liam liked this was maybe the only thing that really allowed Niall to forget for a few minutes, not focusing on anything except for his boyfriend, the way he felt against him, his taste in Niall's mouth, tongue moving in such a familiar way against his, it was calming somehow.

To think that Niall had been scared of these kinda things just a week ago was almost funny, by now he was just so comfortable with Liam, even if he sometimes would get nervous and blush and all that, but it just felt like they had been doing this for ages already, that they had known each other for ages as well and it was wonderful. If only it could've stayed like this, but Niall should've known that his happiness wasn't gonna last, that it had been way too good to be true, the whole last week and then the last two days especially… he should've known he had to pay for it.

So what if this wasn't gonna end well after all? What if the killer managed to get Niall? Or even worse… what if he hurt Liam?!

 

——————

 

"Maybe you should try and take a little nap, Ni, it's been a really long day." Liam's fingers were playing with the shirt Niall had on, the blonde boy had borrowed it from him before when they had changed into more comfortable clothes before cuddling up in bed, with the door closed because it made Niall a lot safer and Liam had even locked it as well without being asked.

"I… I can't sleep… " Niall mumbled into the older boy's shoulder where he had rested his head, arm wrapped tightly around the older man's stomach, one of his legs between Liam's just because it brought them even closer, allowing them to leave about 0 inches of distance between them.

"I promise I'll stay awake if you do." They had been in bed like this for about an hour, Niall's lips had still been tingling for a while after their rather heavy snog, but it had felt more than good, also the soothing touches and the snuggles he received, the light conversation they had had, yet it still hadn't been enough to completely get rid of his fear and Niall was sure that once he closed his eyes, the nightmares were gonna come back as well.

"I don't… I don't want to… " He admitted quietly, trying to curl tighter into Liam's side if any possible, feeling the man's fingers curling around his own, thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"You don't have to, love… we can also stay awake and talk, anything you want. Or we can eat something now, just let me know, okay?" Niall's stomach still didn't feel very well up for food, besides, he didn't want to get up either, or have to leave Liam's side, this was way too comfortable and comforting, Niall was afraid that if he moved just a centimeter, he was gonna feel even worse. 

"I'm not hungry, but… but you can eat something if you want, you know… I don't wanna keep you from anything." Internally though, Niall was praying that Liam was gonna say no, his chest feeling a bit lighter when the older man chuckled, pressing his face into the younger boy's hair, letting go of his shirt now to simply wrap it around Niall's shoulders, keeping him close.

"I'm not hungry, Ni, don't worry about it, okay?" Well, Niall was worrying a little bit, but maybe he was just too selfish to let the older man go, he needed him to stay right here with him and hold him, make sure he wasn't gonna fall apart.

"Okay… " Considering it for a moment, Niall decided that maybe he could ask the one question he had been dying to say out loud but actually hadn't wanted an answer to, heart bumping a little faster as he grabbed onto Liam's hand, swallowing a tiny bit. "…Li?"

"Yes, Nialler?" His calming voice gave Niall a bit more confidence, that always was the thing about Liam, he made Niall feel better about himself, let him know that it was okay, whatever it was, even without having to say it out loud. 

"Um… do you… do you have to, uh… g-go to work t-tomorrow?" Better just ask, before any of them slept in on accident, Niall just needed to know so he could prepare himself for having to be alone here the whole day. Of course he had heard what Liam had told Harry before, but… could've been that he had changed his mind or something.

There was a bit of a sigh before a real answer, a very discouraging one, Niall almost sat up to see Liam's face but decided against it then, just tightly holding onto his boyfriend's hand, very glad about the tight grip Liam had on him. "I'll call my boss later and I'm gonna ask him if I can have a few days off, but I don't know what he's gonna say, I… but you definitely don't have to be alone, okay? I promise, Ni, I won't leave you until I can be sure that you're safe, alright? You don't have to be scared, love, I'd never let anything happen to you, or leave you all by yourself. Trust me, I wouldn't survive knowing no one is keeping you safe either… it's gonna be okay, whatever happens, it'll be okay, trust me."

"I… I am." If there was one person Niall trusted, it was Liam, he truly did, with his life, but he also knew that the older man would say anything in order to make Niall feel better, and be it only the tiniest bit. "But, Li… do you…um… do you really think that… that they will catch him? Like… I-I… I know that… that there's not much to, um… look for a-and… "

"Nialler… " Another sigh, again, not very motivating, but Niall didn't want to let himself allow to cry or anything else equally as embarrassing, he just decided to keep on holding Liam's hand, feel the warmth of his body through Liam's shirt. "I won't… I won't lie to you, okay? I never really… believed that it's just been a simple robbery, or that the guy never wanted to shoot anybody. It's like… back then, it was like he was waiting for us, you know? It's like… he never planned on ever doing anything to you, he wanted us to find him like this, while he was holding you, it was just… strange. And then he was just gone, he just disappeared, no one manages to stay hidden for that long if they haven't planned it well. And now he's come back, after two months, he must know by now that the police stopped looking for him, so what would be the reason for him to do anything to you? And the fact that he knows your lectures, everything he said to you, that he knew who I was by just seeing my name, it's… it's not adding up and I'm glad my boss can see it as well now, because I think he's gonna put more people on the case now. So, yes, I do think they will get him and that there's nothing for you to worry about because I'm keeping you safe and the only thing I'm really worried about is that… that I feel like I should know what this is about, but… but I can't make sense of it and it's driving me nuts."

For some reason, all of that calmed Niall down a little bit, Liam seemed to be convinced that nothing was going to happen to Niall, or maybe he was just good at pretending, but either way, it made the blonde boy feel a bit better. Not so much the other thing though because yeah… when Liam said it all like that, it did sound more than just strange. And also bloody scary. What if that guy was like… some trained killer or something? "Maybe… maybe he's just crazy… "

"Yeah… maybe." Probably not, Niall was aware that his idea didn't seem very smart, but he wasn't a police officer like Liam and to be quite honest, he was rather scared to think about any of this too much. "Anyways… we should stop talking about it, I… I just want you to know that you don't have to be afraid, I lost someone once and… I wouldn't survive losing you, I know in the beginning I didn't want a relationship because of exactly this, that you'd be in danger or that I'd lose you, but… I'm not gonna let it happen now, and I will never regret saying yes to us, never, I'll do anything I can so that you're gonna feel safe again and you don't have to say anything at all now, okay? I just wanted you to know and if… if you want me to, then I can distract you and maybe then you'll be able to sleep a little bit. It'd be good for you I think."

"How'd you… distract me?" Niall's urge to say something about all of this was hard to ignore, but he decided that Liam probably wouldn't really wanna go into detail or he wouldn't have simply switched the topic, plus Niall could really need the distraction as well since talking about all of this wasn't helping very much obviously. Of course it had been him who had started it, but… there wasn't much to say about the actual thing anyways and all that Niall could do was pray that Liam was gonna be the one staying with him tomorrow and possibly the next few days. How in god's name was Niall gonna survive not knowing if Liam was alright? Like, he really got it now, when the older man had told him they couldn't be together because he'd be too scared something would happen to Niall.

"Hmmm… I can show you, if you look at me." The smile in his voice was more than noticeable, so even though Niall felt a bit weak and too comfortable, he lifted his head from Liam's shoulder, probably looking like a right mess from lying there for so long, but the brunette man's face only lit up if anything as their eyes met. "That's better… feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

"It's only been like an hour, Li… and I've been here the whole time." Trying to roll his eyes, Niall quickly forgot about it when he heard Liam's soft laugh and felt the man's hand moving up stroke his cheek softly, already having Niall blushed before really having done anything at all.

"But not your gorgeous face." Liam _wanted_ to make the boy flush, they both knew it and there was nothing Niall could've done to prevent it from happening anyways, quite enjoying the warmth spreading in his stomach, and the chills all over his arms when Liam's second hand found its way to where Niall's shirt had slipped up a bit, gently touching the exposed skin. 

"Um…. so what… what about distracting me now?" Niall was trying his hardest to keep his voice firm, to not look away from Liam or get too embarrassed, which was, let's be honest, impossible.

"Hmm… but I already am." True, Liam's smirk was more than just cheeky, he was so aware of his effect on Niall, it was almost embarrassing. "But I'm sure I can think of something else as well."

"L-Like w-"

Before Niall was able to finish his sentence, half choke out his question, Liam had already lifted his head from the pillow, palm cupping the back of Niall's neck, pulling him down gently until he could connect their lips, not with as little pressure as they sometimes started out with but rather having Niall gasp because of how deeply Liam kissed him, very clearly determined to erase everything from the younger boy's mind that wasn't him. And it worked, of course, it always did.

The position they were in wasn't that suited for kissing like this, especially not when Liam slipped his tongue into Niall's mouth, not really allowing any other thoughts to pop up in Niall's head except for how much he wanted Liam even closer than this, wanted to touch him everywhere at once, possibly without these annoying clothes covering him. Seems like he wasn't the only one with these kinda fantasies.

Niall complied immediately when Liam attempted to sit up a bit more, his arm moving across Niall's back to support him as he attempted to flip them over, never breaking the kiss yet still making sure that the blonde boy's head hit the pillow in the most gentle way possible before leaning on his elbows, not putting his whole weight on top of Niall, but enough to let him feel it anyway, causing Niall to cling even more desperately to him, arms wrapping around Liam's neck just like he was already used to, still not over the long strokes of the older man's tongue though that still almost caused him to pass out. 

To say that it was a distraction was an understatement, Niall didn't even know anymore what day it was whenever Liam would kiss him like this, for so long that they would both run out of breath, panting gently against each other when Liam pulled away slightly, lips still brushing against Niall's rather swollen ones. "Ni… "

"Yeah… ?" Niall could barely speak properly, not even sure whether his whisper had been loud enough, he was just trying not to hurt Liam by pulling on his hair, accidentally letting out a small whine when the older man just pecked his lips softly, not really deepening it. Sure, they both needed air but Niall didn't mind whenever he got dizzy from how long they were snogging.

"I… I was thinking… " Liam had to take a breath in between his words sometimes, his lips moving against Niall's before he moved them, placing a kiss in the corner of the boy's mouth, then on the his cheek before going lower until he reached the blonde boy's jaw line, barely giving him any time to get some more air into his lunges. "Was thinking that… maybe… we could try something… like we did after the wedding, you know… if you… want to… " 

Well, that almost had Niall's eyes flying open, had Liam's hot lips not wandered down his neck, causing his pulse to go faster as he placed a bit of a firmer kiss onto the sensitive skin, causing Niall to wonder whether he was gonna give him a mark there. Not that he would've minded, Liam had never done that before. "Like… like w-what?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable with… we can just… see where it goes and if you don't like it then… just tell me stop… deal?" Immediately, Niall started to feel a lot hotter, just the thought of going even further, something he wanted as well but had felt too nervous to say out loud of course, was almost overwhelming. He was pretty sure Liam had no idea how much he really wanted this, but to know that he wasn't the only one who wanted this felt amazing, like… Liam ACTUALLY wanted Niall in this kinda way, how mind blowing was that? 

"O-Okay… deal." Niall let out a breath, a bit surprised by himself because a few weeks ago he wouldn't have even dreamed about any of this, but he felt safe with Liam, knew that the older man would immediately stop should Niall say one word, so he felt alright to see where this was going, it was a bit exciting too… actually, more than just that, Niall could feel his heart beating even faster, not being able to wait and see what was going to happen. He was nervous, but… this was Liam, he always took care of Niall, always made sure that he was alright, it was gonna be just fine.

"I love you… " Liam's parted lips were still pressed up against the same spot on Niall's neck, having the younger boy squirm a little bit, trying to press closer into Liam, eyes still closed, holding on tightly when the older man gently bit down into his skin, barely letting Niall feel his teeth before soothing the spot with his tongue. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah… love you too… " It was more than just okay, Niall would've never thought that he'd ever experience anything like this, especially not when Liam started to gently suck on his skin, very likely leaving a love bite since Niall was bruising very easily anyways. The thought of that almost had him feeling a bit too excited, and a lot hotter too, suddenly wishing that they would've just lied down before without bothering to put on any shirts. Shit, how'd it feel like, to have Liam's bare skin pressed against his? Niall wasn't sure if he would even survive that, being so close and intimate, but he desperately wanted it all of a sudden, trying to hold back when Liam's hand found its way back underneath his shirt.

The nicest part about all of this was that Niall completely forgot about everything that weren't Liam's lips or his soft touches, it simply slipped his mind, anything bad that had happened, it suddenly didn't matter anymore, everything was just _Liam_ and there was nothing Niall would have rather been doing than being right here with his boyfriend, feeling as if he was in heaven.

When Liam seemed to be happy with the mark on Niall's neck, he pressed another, very soft kiss there before lifting his head with a smile, their breathing having gone back to normal by now. "You alright, babe?"

"Yeah… I'm good… really good… " Niall was well aware that he was flushed as hell, but he felt too excited as to not return the smile, maybe a bit too bright, probably giggling like a fucking idiot when Liam gently poked his bare skin, shirt riding up even higher but the blonde boy didn't mind one bit. "What… what now?"

"Oh, so eager all of a sudden, huh?" Right, that had maybe been a dumb thing to say, Niall's face turned even hotter, but at least it caused Liam to laugh, eyes crinkling up in the way the younger boy loved, twisting his fingers a bit nervously into the back of Liam's hair, briefly closing his eyes as the brunette man kissed his mouth. "I don't know, we can… do whatever you want, like… "

He seemed to seriously consider this and Niall felt himself blushing even more for the way his thoughts were going, playing a bit with the collar of Liam's shirt as he tried to get more courage. It's not like Liam would get mad or anything, he wanted this as well, right? Niall could speak up, it'd be fine. "Um… like… c-can you, uh… t-take your… s-shirt off?"

For a second, Niall almost thought Liam was gonna say something mean, but he just seemed surprised for a moment before his smile came back, face even brighter than it had been before. "If you want me to."

Niall nodded slowly, not trusting his voice enough, relief settling in his chest as the older man pecked his lips once more before reaching back to unclench Niall's fingers from around his shirt, pressing a kiss to his knuckles before slowly letting go, moving to sit up while straddling the younger boy's waist, the smile still prominent on his lips.

Liam barely hesitated before slipping his shirt off, carelessly throwing it somewhere, flinching just barely out of surprise when Niall placed a hand on his exposed stomach, having needed every single bit of courage in order to be able to do that, heart bumping fast as he moved his fingers and palm over the older man's defined abs, feeling the dark hair there, barely able to look him in the eyes now. Of course Niall had seen Liam shirtless before, countless times, and touched him but… it had never quite been like this. 

"What about yours?" Liam's voice was soft, brushing some hair out of Niall's forehead before putting his free hand over Niall's that was still on his stomach, gently smiling down at the blonde boy as he hesitated for a moment.

"I… o-okay… " Niall wasn't so sure about it, he knew Liam wasn't gonna like, say anything or so, and he had seen Niall without a shirt too, just… the younger boy was really aware that he was nothing compared to Liam, Liam was a lot tanner than him and muscular and manly and Niall was… well, Niall was pale and just… soft and pretty weak as well. Just… he couldn't quite understand how Liam could ever find him attractive.

"You don't have to, we only do what you want, remember?" Of course he was gonna say something like this, slightly calming Niall down though he had known all of that already, just… it was nice to hear it again, no matter how many times really, especially in this kinda situation.

"N-No, I… it's o-okay… " It would be, because Liam was sweet and perfect and he would make sure Niall would feel more than just alright and comfortable, right? No need at all to feel nervous, if Liam wouldn't want Niall then he wouldn't have done any of the things he had during the past few days, or weeks more like.

Liam left Niall as much time as he needed, not really doing anything at all, just smiling when the younger boy took a shaky breath, slowly pulling his hand out from underneath Liam's, not having a hard time to pull his shirt up since it had slipped up already anyways, but his hands were a tiny bit shaky, so he was kind of really glad when Liam covered them with his in order to help him. 

Undressing in this kinda position was slightly difficult but Niall managed to do it with Liam's help, not really caring where the older man threw his shirt once it was off because he was busy praying that he wasn't too flushed because it quite felt like it. And now it was even more obvious how red he was as well compared to his pale stomach and chest. 

For a second, none of them spoke and Niall kept his eyes on Liam's abs, not really wanting to look down at himself or into his boyfriend's face, so this was the only option really, it just got difficult when the older man leaned over him once more, not fully yet but enough so that his face was right in front of Niall's, leaving him no choice really but to look up into his eyes. And then Liam kinda threw him off a little bit. 

"You're beautiful, Nialler." Oh.

"I… I'm not, I-I-"

"Yes, you are, baby and there's no reason at all for you to be nervous, because I happen to think you're absolutely gorgeous and no matter what you say, that's still how I see you." Saying anything against this was impossible so Niall kept his mouth shut, trying not to get too nervous when Liam pressed a soft, lingering kiss onto his lips, causing the younger boy to flinch slightly when he rubbed a hand down his bare side. "You did enjoy what we did two nights ago, right?"

"Um… y-yes… of course." Niall had even told Liam so, plus it had been kinda obvious, he was about to ask why the older man would suddenly question that but he never got the chance to when Liam simply kissed him, leaning down even further until he was in his original position, supporting himself on his elbows yet still pressing against Niall's underneath his. Just this time, it was skin on skin and had Niall's heart not already been close to jumping out of his chest, it would have been now.

Somehow everything felt more intense now, Niall shivered a bit when Liam's tongue met his once more, hugging him close, every brush of bare skin against Liam's feeling like fireworks exploding in his tummy. How could this feel so nice, when they weren't even doing that much at all, just snogging and a bit of heavy breathing and Liam's hands wandering over the younger boy's body, sometimes stroking his face, then his hair and then wandering down to the hem of his sweatpants, not really going any further though.

When Liam once more kissed down Niall's jaw and neck, the younger boy felt himself getting even hotter, especially when he had to loosen his arms around the older man as he got to his collar bones, pressing a kiss on each one before, yes, going down even further.

Of course Niall could've told him to stop had he wanted to, but he was curious and even though he was slightly feeling over eager about the fact that all of these kisses and touches down his chest got him semi hard, there was nothing in the world he wanted less than have Liam stop touching him like this. 

As the brunette man got to Niall's nipples he seemed to hesitate and Niall felt his breath stop for a moment, goosebumps rising from just feeling Liam's lips barely touching his skin, gripping the brunette's hair a bit tighter to show him that it was fine, not daring to even open up his eyes or say anything, he surely would've only let a few very embarrassing sounds escape.

Liam seemed to get the hint, he kissed both of Niall's nipples, chuckling a bit against his bare skin when the younger boy couldn't hold back his whine, maybe gripping Liam's hair a bit too tightly when he moved down even further until he had reached his stomach, placing a kiss right on Niall's belly button, tickling him both with his breath but also his stubble, thumbs softly pressing into the blonde boy's hip bones. "I love your tummy, it's perfect… just like you."

"I-It's… s-soft…" Yeah, that was the nicest way Niall could put it, but he had a bit trouble speaking up now when Liam was doing all of this, placing even more kisses after what he had said, causing Niall's eyes to flatter open when he went even deeper. 

"Yeah, it's perfect for kisses and I love it, wouldn't want it to be any other way." The way he said it almost convinced Niall that this was how it was, however he barely had any time to overthink any of this because Liam went even lower, shifting down the bed, almost giving Niall a heart attack then. "You okay, baby? Want me to stop?"

"U-Um I'm f-fine… a-and n-no… " Hell no Niall didn't want him to stop, he just almost died when Liam's face was right over his crotch, hot breath hitting Niall barely through two layers of clothing, still enough for his eyes to widen a bit, feeling himself flushing even more when he realized that Liam now had a very good idea of how much exactly Niall enjoyed all of this.

"Okay… tell me when you're uncomfortable, okay?" First, Niall just thought he had meant in general, but when he felt Liam's fingers moving downwards from where they had been rubbing circles into Niall's hipbones to slowly but surely pull down his sweatpants, it made click in Niall's head.

Without thinking very much about it, his hands immediately flew down over Liam's in order to stop him, blushing even more when the brunette man looked up immediately, stopping instantly of course, even if he didn't even know what Niall's problem was. "I… w-wait, please… "

"Of course, baby, I'm sorry, I should have asked, are you okay? I won't do anything, okay? Everything alright? I'm sorry, Ni." He was worried now, great, this was not at all what Niall's intention had been, it's just… there was one simple reason Niall didn't want Liam to do what he had been clearly about to, like, no one had ever given him a blow job and he was curious, but… it wouldn't have been exactly any fair now to let Liam go ahead and though it was embarrassing, Niall was kinda forced now to say it out loud.

"It's… i-it's okay, I j-just, I… well, you k-know um… two n-nights ago, I… I w-was kinda the o-only one w-who… y'know a-and… I w-want you t-to enjoy it t-too… " Short, Niall didn't want Liam doing all the work while he did nothing at all, but since he was inexperienced, he couldn't exactly return the favor either.

"I am enjoying myself, Nialler, don't worry about that." There was a soft chuckle and Liam petted his stomach fondly before placing a kiss as well, helping the boy relax slightly yet not really because he obviously still hadn't gotten his point across. Would he really be forced to say it out loud? "What's wrong, babe? I don't mind it, in fact, all I want is to make you feel good, nothing else, but if you don't want me to then you can say it, I won't get mad or anything, just want you to be comfortable."

"I k-know, j-just, uh… you know i-if… i-if you w-want to t-then… we c-can, ummm… you know…" Properly have sex, Niall felt like a 10 year old for not managing to say it out loud, barely able to look at Liam because of how embarrassed he was, even more then when the other man didn't speak up, obviously needing a second or two before he even understood what Niall had been trying to say, sighing when he did.

"Babe… look at me." Without even giving Niall a chance to do so by himself, Liam had already crawled back up into his original position, half lying down on top of the younger boy once more, almost forcing him to look im in the eyes now when their faces were this close. "We don't have to just because you think I'm not enjoying myself, which isn't true because I am, it's fine if we wait, love."

"Y-Yeah but… " Somehow Niall really wanted to, he was nervous as hell, and blushed like shit, but when Liam kissed him shortly, again softly brushing over his hair before smiling at him, Niall couldn't have thought of anything else he'd rather want, especially now. "I w-want to… "

Liam considered this for a moment, peppering Niall's face with a few more kisses until he blonde boy almost had to laugh, slowly wrapping his arms back around the older man. "It'd be your first time though, I… I want you to be sure, like, that it should really be with me and that now is the right time. I don't want you to regret it, I want it to be amazing for you and I'd do anything to make it that but I don't wanna do it when you're not sure. You know I'd wait, no matter how long you need."

"I want t-to though… with y-you… I… I'd n-never want anyone e-else… j-just you and… and I am s-sure, just… a bit nervous…" Which was normal, right? This would be a big step for Niall, but he was sure that he wanted Liam and no one else, no person in the entire world could've made him feel so safe and good.

"Okay, look… let's just see where it goes, alright? Maybe we don't go all the way and maybe we will, we're gonna see, yeah? And you can back out any time you change your mind, okay?" Not exactly what Niall had wanted to hear but he nodded anyways, chest loosening a bit when Liam's face brightened up before kissing Niall's forehead gently, cupping his cheek in his warm palm. "Come here, babe."

Kissing was exactly what Niall had been hoping for, mostly because that meant he wouldn't have to talk anymore and maybe manage to get his blush to fade a little bit, just clinging to Liam, thankful for the fact that he at least already had enough experience with snogging to not mess it up anymore.

Still, it felt a lot different now, especially because they were both shirtless and also because, well… practically every single one of Liam's touches went right down to Niall's crotch, even more so because Liam's hips were pressed up right against his, slowly thrusting down into his at one point, whether on purpose or not, but it almost caused Niall to rip some of Liam's hair out that he was desperately clinging to. Shit, maybe he should have let Liam pull his pants down before after all.

Niall didn't know exactly what to do, or what would be alright, all he knew was that he was gonna go insane if Liam didn't do anything besides kissing him deeply and getting him turned on with all these touches, they still had four layers of clothes between them and that definitely needed to change.

Since Niall was aware that Liam probably wasn't gonna be the one to do something about it, he decided he should probably be brave and try it himself, letting go of Liam's hair with one hand to rub his back instead, innocently, kinda distracted by the older man's tongue playing with his as he let his hand drop down lower until he reached the hem of Liam's sweatpants. To be fair, he had already worn them rather low anyways.

Trying to push them down was a lot harder than thought, Niall accidentally got the older man's boxer shorts as well, not very far though since he only had one hand anyways, but it kind of worked until Liam suddenly interrupted the kissed, immediately causing Niall's hand to freeze. "What're you doing, baby?"

"I-I… " Well, this was awkward, Niall kept his eyes closed, one arm still hanging over Liam's shoulder, the other one literally IN his pants, trying to catch his breath, which was hard when Liam's lips were still brushing over his. "I-I… c-can y-you, ummm…. t-take them… o-off?"

"Are you sure?" Liam was softly panting against Niall's mouth, kissing him once more, maybe to give the younger boy some time to think. But he didn't need any time, he just needed these clothes off.

"Yeah… 'm sure… " Hell, Niall was gonna go insane, which he couldn't say of course, so he was hoping Liam was gonna agree and give Niall what he wanted, so desperately by now that he almost wanted to whine from frustration. 

"Okay… you're so cute." There was a laugh that had Niall's eyes flying open as the older man attempted to sit up once more, causing Niall's arms to slip from around him, flushing brightly once more as he saw how low he had actually pushed Liam's pants. Almost all the way down to expose him. "You okay?"

"Umm… yeah… " Well, Niall's heart was bumping more than just fast and he almost felt bad for being so eager for it, or how obviously he was staring when Liam slowly climbed off the bed, of course not before tickling Niall's bare feet and having the younger boy squirm and giggle a bit. That was exactly why he loved Liam so much and why he wanted to do this with no one else but him, he always managed to lighten the mood somehow, always knew exactly how to make Niall feel better, even in a situation like this. 

"Alright then… " Maybe it was weird, to watch Liam from the bed while he was standing in front of it in rather low sweatpants and about to undress himself, smiling his crooked smile at the younger boy before… before hesitating. "I feel like I'm about to give a strip tease."

"Oh… " Well, maybe it was a little bit like that, Niall blushed even more, trying his hardest to look Liam into the face and not stare at anything below his waistline. Maybe this was ridiculous seeing what they were about to do, but… Niall couldn't help himself. "I… I'm s-sorry?"

"You don't have to apologize for that, silly." He laughed before simply slipping off his sweatpants rather quickly, which was easy since he wasn't really exposing himself more than he already had before anyways, but he did wait a second after that, not looking at Niall but rather just standing there for a moment and then… then he started taking off his boxer shorts and Niall gave up on not trying to stare because… screw it, this was his boyfriend.

Liam was half hard, and he was bigger than Niall would've thought, well, Niall actually had never really _thought_ about that at all so he wasn't quite sure how to react or anything. All he knew was that Liam was so fucking attractive that there was absolutely no way that it was exactly Niall who he wanted. But he did, apparently. 

"You alright?" He actually sounded worried about Niall, slowly coming back to the bed, watching the younger boy's face closely, hopefully not realizing how obviously Niall was checking him out. Shit.

"Y-Yeah… sure… I… I g-guess it's, um… my t-turn… " It was fine, Niall would be fine, at least he wouldn't be the only one naked, right?

"You don't have to." Liam reassured him once again, but the blonde boy just shook his head, hesitating for a second before hooking his thumbs into his pants, not immediately pulling them down but rather waiting for Liam to sit down on the mattress, watching the younger boy's face and nothing else, not saying anything.

Niall maybe needed half a minute or so before he was ready, giving himself a push before pulling both his sweatpants and boxer shorts down, kicking them over the edge of the bed before lying back down on his back, immediately covering his eyes with his arm, trying to control his breathing. Fuck, he was bloody naked in front of Liam, in Liam's bed, and they were about to… to possibly have sex and wow, Niall would've never thought any of this would happen to him.

"Hey… " When Liam unexpectedly touched his upper thigh, Niall flinched a bit in surprise, not minding though when the older man's hand rubbed the skin gently before slipping higher, over his stomach and then his chest, the mattress giving in when Liam went back to straddling Niall, just hovering above him now, not really touching him, one hand next to Niall's head in the pillow, the other one gently pulling his arm away from his face. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just… n-needed a second… " Trying not to glance down yet again, Niall actually tried to return Liam's smile before moving his arms to wrap around his neck, weakly trying to pull him down to lie down on top of him once more and once he did, it was the most intense thing Niall had ever felt. "I… "

"Shh, it's okay, baby, everything's fine, I'm taking care of you, alright?" Being pressed together like this, with nothing covering them or their… crotches, felt a lot better than expected, it was intimate and Niall absolutely loved it, loved how he could feel and smell Liam everywhere, how soothing the older boy's words were and the gentle strokes of his fingers down Niall's cheek. And then the sweet kiss he pressed against the blonde boy's lips, not immediately deepening it, just taking his time, being gentle, it was just… wow.

Of course now, they could both feel every tiny movement even more, every twitch of their hips, anything, and Niall wasn't really able to hold back with his sighs anymore after a while when Liam was kissing him more eagerly, almost thrusting his hips against Niall's in a slow and steady rhythm, getting both of them panting into each other's mouths.

Niall had never done any of this before, had never even seen anyone else's dick or touched it, so he used that as an excuse as to why it felt so bloody amazing to just do this, rub and push against each other while snogging heavily. Just thinking about the fact that this was Liam, that he loved Niall as much as the other way around made everything even more amazing, to be doing this with someone who Niall loved so damn much that it hurt was… better than anything else in this world he could have ever imagined.

And yet still, it wasn't completely what he wanted.

"L-Li… w-wait… " They were both painfully hard against each other, Niall could feel it and it got him hot to think that Liam was just as turned on as he was, barely wanting to break the kiss, kinda just wanting to keep going until he busted, but… he wanted something else.

"What's wrong, Ni?" Liam was panting heavily against Niall's spit slicked lips, slowing his hip movements down for now before stopping them completely, very much to Niall's displeasure. He could've come like this, no question.

"I-I… can we… c-can we g-go a-all the way?" Better just ask, so Liam would know what he wanted immediately, slowly opening his eyes to see that the older man's face had gotten a lot redder as well, a few pieces of hair sticking to his forehead now, lips plush and dark red yet… he looked even better than any time before, if that was even possible.

"If you want to…I'd love to." Was all Liam said before kissing Niall once more, deeply, for a lot longer than expected before moving his lips to kiss the boy's cheek instead, keeping his mouth there as he mumbled. "I got some… stuff in my drawer, I… I'll get it, alright? You can still change your mind, babe, no worries."

"I w-won't… " Definitely not.

Niall hated the fact that Liam had to get up for this, but he let his arms sink to let the man go, getting another kiss in return and a smile before Liam climbed off of him, giving a more than just good sight of his gorgeous backside and his muscular back when he walked over to his closet, throwing a smirk back over his shoulder. Was it very inappropriate Niall thought about touching himself just to the sight of his boyfriend? Probably.

"Okay, I… if you really wanna do this then… we gotta decide who, like… is on top and-"

"You." That was something Niall was sure of, he would just mess everything up and also… he wasn't gonna say this out loud, but… the fantasy of having Liam inside of him wasn't exactly a new thing.

"Alright, but… it's gonna hurt a bit, like, I'm gonna prep you and I'll be as gentle as I can though, okay? I promise, I would never hurt you on purpose and if it gets too much we just stop, yeah? Do you… do you know like… how it works, as stupid as that sounds?" When Liam came back, Niall threw a short glance at the condoms and lube he was holding, kinda thankful that he wasn't THAT uninformed when it came to this kinda stuff. He just had never done any of it.

"Yeah, I… I know, it's o-okay… " He was aware that it was probably gonna hurt, which was fine though because Niall trusted Liam more than anyone else in the world and he was convinced that it was gonna be worth it in the end. "Should I… lie on my b-back?"

"If you want to, I think it'll be easier, yeah." Also, Liam wouldn't see Niall blushing, so the younger boy nodded, at least somehow having gotten over both of them being naked and hard as he flipped onto his belly, resting his head on his arm so he could still see what Liam was up to, getting slightly nervous when the older man sat down next to him, hand coming to a rest on Niall's slightly sweaty back, face soft like always. "Alright?"

"Yeah… " Niall spread his legs a bit further, trying not to groan at the friction the bedsheets caused against his hard on, instead letting his eyes fall closed as he heard Liam releasing a breath before very obviously opening the bottle of lube. Okay, Niall would be fine, Liam would be gentle and it'd be alright for sure.

"Are you still sure?" Liam checked once more of course, still stroking Niall's back and the younger boy nodded without opening his eyes, trying not to think about where Liam was gonna put his fingers in a second, or the fact that no one had ever touched him there, that he had never even thought about it. "Alright… tell me when I need to stop."

It had Niall shivering, to feel Liam's hand on his ass, simply because, but when he slipped it lower after giving Niall some time, the blonde boy jerked a little bit at the first touch to his hole, the lube wasn't cold or anything, but… the feeling of it was strange, not bad, just… different. 

"Okay?" There was no way Liam wasn't gonna check on Niall every ten seconds, so the boy tried to relax, nodding without opening his eyes though, trying to breathe evenly as Liam rubbed his finger in a tight circle, spreading the lube, other hand resting on the back of Niall's thigh in a rather comforting way. "I… I'll push it in now, slowly, try to relax, okay? It won't be too bad, promise."

He sounded slightly nervous, yet maybe it was the fact that Niall had prepared himself for the very worst pain in the world that he didn't even feel half as bad as expected when Liam gently eased his finger in, not all the way, only a little bit before giving Niall to adjust. It did hurt, but it wasn't half bad actually. "It's o-okay… d-doesn't hurt too m-much… "

"Good… " Liam sounded relieved, his hand hand rubbing up and down Niall's leg soothingly before he pushed his finger in further, maybe all the way already, Niall refused to check, all he knew was that the pain increased slightly, but not unbearably much. He'd be fine if it went on like this.

The brunette man gave him tons of times to adjust, moving his finger a bit inside of Niall until the very strange feeling of having… someone's finger up his bum turned into a somewhat alright one. Before pushing in a second one, Liam probably emptied the bottle of lube because of how much he used, it almost had Niall laughing when he heard the older man swear under his breath behind him, quickly shutting up though when he felt another finger lined up at his rim.

This time was worse, obviously, but still rather bearable, plus Liam asked about twelve times once they were both inside before gently moving them, scissoring them a bit which almost caused Niall to groan in a not so good way. Luckily though, Liam thrusted them in a bit too deep, brushing something that had Niall releasing half a moan. Oh. "Good, yeah? Sorry, didn't intend to go so deep though… "

"I… I don't mind." Niall laughed nervously, trying to recover from the short, but intensely pleasuring feeling, his dick grazing along the sheets as he moved his hips a bit, suddenly getting a bit impatient. "You... you can do a-another…"

"You sure? Tell me if it's too much." Liam didn't sound too convinced, he kept going with two for a while before slowly pulling them out, once again getting even more lube, which almost had Niall smiling because of how worried Liam was about his well being, before lining up a third finger. This time, the stretch was more noticeable, but still alright, honestly, just the thought of having Liam inside of him for real and the memory of the feeling he had had before when Liam had brushed his prostate were enough for Niall to take it. 

"Li… I… I'll be f-fine, just… " Not wanting to literally beg the brunette man to fuck him, Niall broke off before the 'please', his breathing going hard, not really knowing whether he was feeling pleasure or pain as Liam thrusted his fingers in and out, but it was something in between and Niall definitely enjoyed it. But not as much as he was gonna enjoy something else. "Liam… "

"One second, babes, I don't wanna hurt you, okay? Soon, I promise… " His hand was back at rubbing Niall's back gently, once again thrusting his fingers in a bit deeper, this time on purpose though, having Niall moan once more, actually thinking about biting his arm to drown his noises. Liam didn't seem to mind them at all though. "Alright… I think that's enough, just… you really have to tell me if it's too much, yeah? Promise?"

"Promise… " He first of all would have to define 'too much' before Niall was gonna say anything at all, his heart was bumping fast as Liam gently pulled his fingers out and the blonde boy blinked his eyes open to watch his boyfriend reaching for the condoms once more, even looking hot while tearing the package open with his teeth, shaking his head a bit at Niall when he noticed the younger boy watching as he put the condom on, smirking a bit though. God was he attractive.

"Alright… now's your last chance to-"

"I want to and I'm sure." Trying to sound firm, Niall almost let out a huff but decided against it then, he didn't want to come off as annoyed, he really appreciated everything Liam was doing to make sure he was alright.

"Good. Relax, yeah? It'll be so good if you relax, I promise." Niall wasn't doubting that at all, but he still felt nervous as he watched Liam putting lube on himself, letting his eyes fall closed then as the older man moved once more, punching a sigh out of Niall as he lined himself up with the blonde boy's stretched entrance, just the tip alone making Niall want to push back against him. "Shh, it's okay, love, I'll go gentle and slow, yeah?"

As if that was Niall's problem, he did feel a burning pain when Liam pushed in a bit further, his own breathing getting heavy as he supported himself with one arm, other one still rubbing Niall's bare back, leaning down further over the younger boy, going as slow as he had promised. Maybe a bit too slow, but Niall could hardly be mad about that.

Of course it hurt more than three fingers, but not too much, plus the excitement and the fact that every tiny brush of the bedsheets against Niall's erection could've caused him to be pushed over the edge were enough for him to simply take it. He wanted it, so badly, wanted everything from Liam he could get and he had never been more sure about anything.

"Babe? Everything good?" When Liam was buried to the hilt, his hips flush against Niall's, lips pressed up against the back of the younger boy's neck, fingers tangling through his hair, Niall was trying his hardest not to burst out into tears actually. Liam was _inside_ of him and it felt absolutely mind blowing to be this close to someone he loved so much. "How's it feel?"

"W-Weird, but… really good… " Niall thought he could almost feel Liam smiling against his skin, one hand finding its way somewhere underneath Niall's arm to intertwine their fingers, Liam's lips slipping from his neck to behind his ear, and then Niall's cheek, stubble scratching over the skin as he let them rest there for a moment, turning Niall's brain to jelly. "I love you… "

"I love you more." Liam simply replied, chuckling when the younger boy let out a huff, wanting to complain when Liam kissed his cheek once more, shifting his hips the tiniest bit. "Can I… ?"

"Yeah… sure… " As if Niall wasn't more than ready, he definitely hadn't been prepared for this though, like, before had felt good, but when Liam buried his face in his neck, breathing in deeply before pulled out a bit and rocking back in, Niall thought he was seeing stars as the older man brushed his prostate once more. Fuck, he wasn't gonna last, not for longer than a few minutes. 

"Okay?" Not stopping his movements, Liam sounded a bit breathless as well as he asked, of course still not forgetting to ask though, he never would.

"Y-Yeah… do that… a-again… " His voice was probably barely understandable but Niall didn't care, he was squishing Liam's fingers in his as the older man started a rather steady rhythm, faster than before, pressing Niall into the mattress each time he thrusted back in, the bedsheets so beautifully giving Niall the friction he needed, not exactly helping with his desperate tries to keep his moans in though. Fuck it. "Oh g-god… "

"I know, babe… you feel s-so good, shit… you're so tight, y-you squeeze me every time y-you… fuck… " Hearing Liam's breath going heavy was so hot really, his lips were right somewhere next to Niall's ear, panting once he started to go a bit faster until his already squeaky bed would make a sound every time he rocked back inside the younger boy, finding the right angle to brush Niall's prostate almost every single time.

This was so much better than what they had been doing two nights ago, sure it had been amazing, but nothing would ever compare to this. Niall felt so full and it was the best feeling ever, have Liam's hot erection brush across his inner walls, almost piercing into his prostate while his heavy weight would press Niall into the mattress in all the right ways, never giving him a chance to even catch his breath.

There was no use in holding his moans back anymore, Niall couldn't have even if he had wanted to, he had never felt like this, never felt heat coiling in his stomach like this, and when he heard Liam grunting into his ear and the bed bumping against the wall, Niall just couldn't hold back anymore. "L-Li… 'm g-gonna… oh f-fuck.. "

"'s fine … c-come for me, b-babe… c'mon… " As if to help him, Liam fucked even harder into Niall, having the boy seeing stars as he would hit his prostate every single time now, his aching member sandwiched between his belly and then mattress having just the right kind of pressure on it and with another two or three more thrusts, Niall was spilling over himself and the bed underneath him, biting his arm yet still not able to drown out every sound, almost getting dizzy from the force of his orgasm. "F-Fuck… "

Obviously, Niall coming was what did it for the older man as well, Niall wasn't really aware how tightly he clenched around Liam as he was riding out his high, barely able to believe what he was feeling when he felt the older man thrusting faster into him before loudly groaning into his ear, his erection pulsing inside of Niall as he released into the condom, fucking the younger boy through it before he slowed down and eventually stopped.

Neither of them was able to speak immediately afterwards, Niall felt so relaxed and out of breath, he could've probably fallen right asleep, but he was so amazed by how fucking good it had felt, how hard he had come, how bloody amazing it was to have Liam inside of him still, have him come inside of him even if they had used a condom, just… how was it possible that this had literally been the best experience in Niall's whole entire life?!

"I l-love you… " Was all that would come over Niall's lips, a shaky breath escaping him as he felt tears building up, from happiness though, even if they caused Liam to jump into panic mode instantly.

"I love you too, babe… Ni, what's wrong?! Why are you crying, oh my god, did I-"

"N-No, j-just… I'm s-so h-happy, I… it w-was s-so amazing a-and… I love y-you s-so m-much a-and… thank y-you… for b-being t-the b-best b-boyfriend ever… " This was just too much for Niall, he would get emotional sometimes, so this was one of these moments where the tears would just spill out and Niall wasn't able to hold them back, just squeezing Liam's fingers tightly that were still in his.

"Aww, baby… " Liam cooed before placing a kiss onto his cheek once more, then another and another, his free hand rubbing Niall's arm gently. "You don't have to thank me, that was… the most amazing sex I've ever had and… I love you so much, Nialler, so damn much, you know? No idea what I'd do without you, I… I'm gonna pull out, okay? I'll be gentle and-"

"N-No… s-stay… like t-this… " Niall didn't want Liam to move, didn't want him to bring just one tiny centimeter of distance between them, he wanted to feel him like this as long as possible, pressing into Niall all warm and heavy, his breath against Niall's cheek, giving him kisses and squeezing his hand. Pretty sure this was what heaven felt like.

"Okay, baby… I'm here, it's okay, Nialler, I'm here… " Liam was kissing his shoulder now, still soothingly rubbing his arm while Niall tried his best to hold back more tears but at the same time not really wanting to, this was too emotional for him and as long as he and Liam wouldn't move, he could capture the moment like this, not think of anything but his wonderful, perfect boyfriend, ignore whatever else he should've payed attention to. All that mattered was Liam and nothing else.

They fell asleep about an hour later, neither of them bothering with any clothes, just curling up underneath the blanket in each others arms, cuddled as closed as humanly possible and Niall was sure that there was absolutely nothing that could've ruined this night for them.

He was proven wrong when he jerked awake hours later, someone repeatedly ringing the doorbell.


	14. Chapter 14

Liam had tried putting off sleep for as long as possible, not really able to see Niall's face in complete darkness but still being able to make out his features in order to kiss it while he slept in the older boy's arms, eventually causing him to drift off as well even though he had been trying to stay awake, just in case Niall woke up and needed him. But at some point, Liam had just given in, still with the same dumb smile on his face and the warmth in his stomach.

He wouldn't have ever thought that Niall would want to go this far so soon, but he had been pretty damn convincing and who was Liam to say no when this was what he had wanted as well? Usually he would've thought that one week of dating was way too short to go this far and sleep with each other, but… it was different with Niall, every aspect of their relationship was. 

The kinda relationship they had was something Liam used to only dream about, he loved the boy so insanely much that it almost got him feeling guilty, because of his ex girlfriend and all that, however… how could Liam have felt guilty for being happy and feeling good? And when Niall needed him so clearly and loved him just as much in return? He couldn't.

Still, there was a voice inside of Liam that was telling him that this was his fault, it was his fault that his girlfriend had died, even if everyone had told him otherwise, and it was his fault that Niall was in danger now, that the boy felt unsafe and that Liam was planning on bloody quitting his job or something just to stay with him tomorrow and however many days after that. What if it was his fault after all? Would he ever be able to forgive himself, even if they did catch this guy? This had been his reason all along to say no to Niall and suppress his feelings, because he had wanted to keep him safe and now everything Liam had ever feared was suddenly becoming reality.

Still, he would never regret saying yes to all of this, especially not after a night like this, in all honesty, Liam couldn't even imagine having felt like this before, his feelings for the blonde were deeper than he would have ever imagined and being allowed to hold and cuddle him like this afterwards, having certainty over the boy's love and trust towards him was just… the most amazing feeling Liam had ever had, in his whole entire life probably.

So yeah, he had been trying to simply distract Niall but it had turned into the most amazing thing ever, and maybe it wasn't so surprising that neither of them spoke about what had happened that day anymore, that all they would whisper to each other were just words of love and tenderness. 

And maybe exactly that had been a mistake.

Liam couldn't remember dreaming of anything at all, it's like he was still well aware of the warm body in his arms that he was holding onto even while sleeping, not really feeling like he had even fully drifted off when he was half woken up again by something that sounded a lot like his name. 

"Niall… ?" Barely able to speak since he was still half asleep, Liam tried to hold on tighter to his boyfriend, not really knowing yet what exactly it was that had woken him up, maybe he had just been dreaming some weird stuff. 

Again, there was some sound that didn't really fit to any of this and then something on Liam's shoulder, almost as if Niall was shaking him a bit or so, also, he seemed to somehow have gotten out from underneath Liam's arms because the older boy wasn't too happy about not being able to cuddle closer into him. 

"… what're you doing?" Well aware that his voice was probably thick from sleep and only came out in a mumble, Liam tried to wake up a bit more, stirring slightly when he finally was able to identify the weird other noise, it almost sounded like… like someone was ringing the doorbell? "Wha-"

"L-Li… wake u-up!" This time, Niall's voice came through more clearly, he gave Liam another not very gentle shove right before letting out something that sounded a lot like a sob and that's when the brunette man knew that he definitely was not dreaming any of this, something was definitely up.

Blindly searching for the lamp on the bedside table, Liam's stomach dropped a bit as he heard the doorbell ringing yet another time followed by a whimper from his left, suddenly well aware of the younger boy's death grip around his arm, immediately scooting closer once Liam had sat up, the light forcing him to blink a few times. "Babe, are you okay?"

"N-No… L-Li… someone's… at the d-door and… " Niall was shaking like a leaf, pressing himself even closer into Liam when the brunette man wrapped an arm around him, kissing his forehead, still slightly confused for a moment, and sleepy as well, like… wait… 

"How… how late is it?" No one rung the doorbell anymore, it stayed almost creepily quiet except for Niall's quiet sobs into Liam's bare shoulder, his grip on the older man almost painfully tight. 

"L-Like… 4 in the m-morning… L-Li, do y-you… t-think that… that i-it's h-him?!" Cold shivers ran down Liam's spine as he let all of that sink in, immediately wrapping his other arm around the blonde boy as well, holding him protectively as he needed a second to realize what was even going on. There was no doubt that Liam had heard the doorbell as well, he just hadn't really thought about how bloody strange this had been, like, who would come here at a time like this? Surely, if it had been someone he knew they would have called him before or at least waited for a decent time, however, a look at the clock on the wall clearly told him that it was definitely 4 in the morning and Niall's shivery body against Liam's was proof enough of what was happening.

For a moment, Liam was clueless, he felt panic pooling in his stomach that he quickly tried to get rid of, he couldn't get afraid now, or let Niall see how nervous this got him, he needed to be calm on the outside, for the younger boy. It's just… why the fuck would this asshole come here? The fact alone that he KNEW where Liam lived and that Niall was staying with him was bad enough, but why would he come here, ring the doorbell in the middle of the night, when it was obvious that Liam wasn't gonna open the door and that he would immediately know who it was?? "He's playing with us… "

"W-What?" Niall sniffed again and Liam hugged him tighter to his chest, shaking his head slowly though the boy couldn't see, pressing a kiss onto the top of his head.

"Nothing. It's okay, Ni, nothing is gonna happen, okay, no one can get in here, alright? It'll be fine, I'm here, baby." There were two locked doors between them and this guy, Liam was pretty certain that he wouldn't be able to come in here, but even more, he was also quite sure that that wasn't even his plan. The plan was to scare them, or mainly Niall, show them what he was capable of and Liam couldn't fight the fantasy of going outside to face this arsehole, finally put an end to this. But he wouldn't of course, he had Niall clinging to him and Liam had to take care of his boy, no matter what. "Shsh, it's gonna be okay… "

"O-Okay… w-what are you d-doing?!" He sounded panicked as Liam let go with one arm, only to reach the phone on his nightstand, obviously having Niall thinking that he was gonna get up or something because his grip got even tighter. "D-Don't g-go, he'll hurt y-you!"

"Babe, shh, I'm not going anywhere, I'm just getting my phone, alright? Don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone and I won't open the door, come here, Nialler." The fact that Niall seemed to be so worried about Liam's well being had him feeling a bit softer inside, letting the boy cuddle even closer if that was any possible after getting his phone, making sure to hold Niall securely, feeling a few shivers due to the fact that neither of them had put on any clothes before falling asleep. "I'm gonna call my boss now and they're gonna send someone to come here, alright? It'll be fine, don't worry, Nialler, he can't come in here." 

"O-Okay… " It didn't sound very confident at all but all Niall seemed to truly want was snuggle as closely into Liam as possible, pressing his face into the crook of the older man's neck, still shivering even as Liam pulled the blanket higher, rubbing Niall's back softly with his free hand. God, how the hell had they gotten into the most impossible situation ever?!

Liam knew that his boss was working late, not that he couldn't have just called someone else as well since obviously, all of his co workers were police officers, but they probably weren't equally informed about the case and besides that, Liam knew that the chief himself could do a lot more than anybody else. "… yes, Liam?"

It had barely taken a few seconds before he had picked up and Liam couldn't help but let out a breath of relief that Niall hopefully didn't hear, cradling the boy even closer to his chest, hoping his voice wasn't shaking or giving away the fact that he was probably more afraid than he should've been. "Can you send someone to my apartment? We just got woken up by someone ringing the doorbell several times and I'm pretty sure we both know who that was. He knows where I live, and that Niall is with me, obviously, and if it really was him then maybe he's still around, he only stopped ringing a few minutes ago."

"Are you sure it was him? Styles and Tomlinson seem like the kinda people who would find that funny." Maybe he was right, however Liam had seen the look on Harry's face and he was 100% convinced that his taste in friends wasn't that bad, especially when it came to serious situations like this one.

"I'm sure, no one I know would fucking come here at 4 am without calling me first, and ring the doorbell multiple times, I have no idea how he found out where I live or that Niall is staying with me, but fact is that he most likely does and he's possibly still in the area now." Couldn't they hurry this up a little bit? Liam was aware that maybe the story sounded a bit exaggerated but what was he gonna say when that was exactly how it had happened?!

"Alright, I'll send someone over, they still haven't gotten any further with this case anyways, did you go outside?" Did Liam somehow appear to be suicidal?

"No, I didn't, he stopped ringing before I even fully realized it, I don't think it would've been a very wise idea to go after him." Naked as well, but that was a detail Liam better not mentioned, he was just desperate for his boss to hurry this up, barely able to keep his voice calm anymore, also for Niall. 

"Good, don't go, he might have something planned, I'll tell the guys to be careful, I'm gonna call you back as soon as they checked out the building and the area, stay safe." He hung up without waiting for a reply, which was good because that meant he was immediately gonna send someone over and Liam felt the knot in his chest loosening a little bit. Maybe it had been someone else, right? Or maybe not.

"Okay, someone's gonna come and see if it's safe, alright? Don't worry, I think he's gone now anyways, but maybe they can catch him, they know how he looks like after all, or they have an idea about it, I'm sure they'd recognize him." Liam wasn't sure who he was trying to calm down more, himself or Niall, because the younger boy didn't even seem like he was listening, he barely reacted to Liam placing a big kiss on his head before rocking him a bit in his arms, hoping that Niall didn't feel how fast his heart was beating, half expecting to hear the doorbell again any second. How had he found out where Liam lived? And why had he suddenly decided to do all these things in one day? Was that his plan, to scare the living shit out of Niall? "Baby, are you okay? I'm here, nothing can happen to you, Nialler, I got you." 

"I-I'm f-fine, just… L-Li… can w-we… c-can we c-call Harry a-and L-Louis?" That question came a bit unexpected, Liam wished he could've seen the younger boy's face but he refused to lift it even the tiniest bit so Liam leaned his cheek against Niall's head, closing his eyes for the moment, wishing that their special night wouldn't have gotten destroyed by something like this. Or actually, he just wished that none of this would have ever happened in general… then again though, he wouldn't have met Niall otherwise. 

"Sure, I can call them… but why do you want me to?" Liam had already played with the thought himself, mostly because he'd just feel safer to have his best friends here, but also because he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay at his own apartment for the rest of the night, it obviously wasn't a very good place to seek safety at, even if by judging the way Niall still seemed to be terrified, for good reason, they probably weren't gonna be able to sleep anyways.

"I-I… I-I'd feel b-better if… i-if they're h-here t-to… h-help you i-in c-case s-something happens o-or… p-protect y-you… " Oh. Well, that differed greatly from Liam's thoughts, but it also had him stopping the rocking movements for a moment as he took this in, feeling Niall's breath against his bare skin as a knot formed in his throat, voice immediately going even softer. God, he was so adorable, was it the wrong time to think about covering Niall's face in kisses and squeezing him to death?

"Baby, nothing will happen to me, okay? I promise. I won't go outside or anywhere else without you, alright? I'm gonna be just fine and so are you… but I can still call them, okay? Actually… I'm pretty sure they'd be pissed if they find out that I didn't, so." Especially after what Harry had said before when they had left the station, Liam didn't really wanna wake them up, but since Niall had specifically asked for them and considering the seriousness of the situation, Liam was sure that they wouldn't be mad. Actually, they'd probably get here faster than they should have. "Okay, I'm gonna call Louis, he'll wake up before Harry."

"O-Okay… " Niall sniffed, still refusing to lift his head but also not really able to since Liam was holding him so close and tightly, pressing a few more kisses into the mess of blonde hair as he pressed the phone to his ear while waiting, not really expecting Louis to pick up any time soon.

Sitting here in almost complete silence was quite scary to be honest, Liam was sure that some of his co workers would be here in a few minutes, but just the thought of him maybe not being able to protect Niall in case anyone would've bursted in here had his stomach twisting into knots. If Liam found this scary, then what the hell was it doing to Niall? "…. Liam? Did anything happen?"

Louis sounded sleepy yet also alarmed once he finally did pick up, which was quite appropriate seeing as Liam never randomly called at fucking 4 am so there was that. The only problem was, he couldn't really sound as panicked and scared as he felt like since he had Niall clinging to him who needed to believe that everyone was gonna be just fine. "Actually, yeah… well, there was someone at the door, at my front door, ringing the doorbell like an idiot a few minutes ago and I called the chief and he sent some of the guys over, but they aren't here yet. And Niall asked to call you guys and actually, I'd feel a lot safer too if you could, like… come over or something, I know it's late and I'm sorry I woke you, but-"

"Shit, Li, one second, he was at your door?! And you're only bloody calling me now, why are you so calm, he knows where you live!" Yeah, that was exactly why Liam had lowered the volume of his phone before, because Niall would've freaked the hell out at hearing that, but at least Louis' outbreak was a good representation of how Liam truly felt. "I'm gonna wake Harry right now, we'll be over as soon as we can, don't go outside, yeah? There's no time for playing hero when you end up dead."

"I won't, Lou, but thanks." Rolling his eyes a bit, Liam waited for Louis to hang up before dropping the phone next to him on the bed, returning to his other duty which was hugging Niall as tightly as humanly possible. "They'll be over as soon as possible, alright? It's gonna be okay, Nialler, promise. Look… maybe we should put some clothes on, yeah? I can go and get you some if-"

"N-No… stay… " This was gonna be hard, Liam felt really bad now, even worse than before because of how obvious it was that Niall was more than just terrified, barely allowing Liam to do anything at all except for searching through the sheets a little bit in search for some of their clothes before remembering that they had kicked them all off. 

"I am, baby, come with me, okay? I won't let you go of you, promise, Nialler." Of course this made things a lot harder but Liam knew that that was what Niall needed, he was just happy when the younger boy finally gave in and slowly lifted his head, his face pale instead of red for once, tears shimmering in his eyes still as he looked up at Liam, having him force a smile just to try and calm him a bit. "There you are, babe, you're safe, yeah? I'm here and I love you and I'd never let anyone hurt you, come here."

Niall wasn't really reacting when Liam pressed a kiss onto his forehead, then another onto his nose and both his cheeks before cupping the boy's face into his hands, glad that just for once the younger boy wasn't looking away in embarrassment or blushed, because even though Liam loved that, he really needed Niall to believe him right now. "I-I just… 'm s-scared… "

"I know, Ni, but you don't have to be, Harry and Louis will be here soon, alright? And we'll figure out what we're gonna do together, it's gonna be fine and I promise I'll stay with you tomorrow, okay? No matter what happens." Promising that maybe wasn't a good idea but honestly, Liam didn't care, whatever he had to do to get tomorrow off, he was gonna do it, even if it'd get him fired, he'd rather have his boyfriend save more than anything in the world. What was a job gonna help him if he lost Niall? Nothing. "Come on, let's get some clothes, yeah? I won't let go of you."

The younger boy just sniffed but allowed Liam to peck his mouth softly before slowly attempting to somehow move both of them to get out of bed, not really wanting to open the door up for anybody while they were still naked but also getting the fact that Niall wasn't really up for leaving this bed or getting more distance between them, but they didn't have much of a choice.

Since most of Niall's clothes were here anyways, Liam had put them all into his closet a while ago even though the younger boy had protested saying he didn't wanna steal any space but had quickly given in anyways. So now though, the clothes were kinda mixed up sometimes and since Liam only had one hand free to search through their clothes as Niall was clinging to his other arm for his dear life, it took him quite a while to find stuff for the both of them.

"Okay, here you go… you want the sweatpants from yesterday? They're somewhere down there… " Somewhere on the floor, Liam wasn't quite sure if Niall would allow him to look for them as he had a hard time just allowing Liam to put on some boxer shorts once Niall had his on as well, at least not leaving them stark naked anymore. Not that Liam cared, he had loved going to sleep like this after all, but it maybe wasn't too good of an idea anymore once the others got here. "Here, take my shirt, I can't find any of yours somehow, I'll help you, yeah?"

Niall just nodded, not doing very much while Liam helped him putting the shirt on, making sure to touch him as much as possible to make up for the fact that Niall had been forced to let go of his arm, of course immediately going back to it once they were done getting dressed, only in sweatpants and shirts, but that was fine since it was in the middle of the night.

Liam would've gotten the clothes from the floor as well, but since Niall's arms were already back around his middle and his head pressed into the crook of his neck faster than he could blink, Liam decided against moving, simply returning the hug as he slowly moved backwards, until the back of his knees hit the mattress once more. "C'mere, sit on my lap, yeah? They'll be here soon, promise."

"'kay… " At least he wasn't crying anymore, Niall just seemed beaten down as he snuggled up in Liam's lap and his arms, head cuddled into his shoulder, not really reacting whenever Liam would try his best to calm him down, just talking about random stuff while stroking the boy's hair in order to distract him, but at least the sobbing and the shaking had stopped, which was at least a beginning.

Harry and Louis were there faster than Liam's boss could call him back, which maybe was a good sign or maybe not, the biggest problem Liam had was convincing Niall to go to the front door with him because the younger boy thought he was going to get shot if they just left the bedroom. 

The only way to get Niall to agree was letting him talk to Harry on the phone, so that he could reassure Niall that it really was only him and Louis on the other side of the door and no one else, that they wouldn't be lying to him even if someone was holding a gun to their heads, so then finally the blonde boy allowed Liam to get up, following close behind of course, both his hands wrapped tightly around Liam's, half hiding behind him then when the brunette man opened up the front door. Honestly, maybe Liam's heart had been beating a little bit faster as well.

"Sorry it took so long, we tried to get here as fast as possible, are you guys okay? Did anything happen in the meantime?" Both of them seemed as stressed out as Liam felt like, not even having to gesture for them to come inside and tell them to lock the door behind them because they already did automatically. 

"Nothing happened and don't worry, you were still faster than the other guys, I have no idea what they're searching for or whether they're even here at all." Liam tried to get Niall to step out from behind him softly, only getting the boy to wrap both his arms around his middle once more, which was fine though, at least this way Liam could properly hold him, rubbing a hand up and down his back.

"They're downstairs actually, they barely even let us in the building until they saw who we were. I doubt that they will find anything at all, like…. he could've just left immediately and we'd never know." Liam knew that Louis was right but he still had to suppress a sigh, hoping that Niall wasn't listening too closely because this pessimism wasn't good for him to hear, even if it was true. "You okay, Niall? Don't worry, kiddo, no one's gonna get past us."

"Especially not past Liam when it's about you." Harry added, which was very true yet didn't seem to impress the blonde boy very much, he didn't even take time to answer, just pressing himself into Liam, fingers curled tightly into the back of his shirt, sometimes having a shiver going through his body that Liam tried to make up for with a few kisses to the top of his head. "So what do we do now? Do you want us to stay here?"

"I haven't really thought about that actually, I… I'm gonna wait until the chief calls me and then… I don't think we're gonna stay here tonight actually, don't think we'd get a lot of sleep." Not that it mattered since Liam didn't plan on letting Niall go anywhere or go somewhere himself, but to be quite honest, he wasn't sure how safe he would feel just being in here, like… the guy had found out where Liam lived, who said he couldn't find a way in here?

"Yeah, it wouldn't be very safe… you can stay at our house, you know, tonight or however long you want, we got enough space anyways." They did have a really big house and Liam considered it for a moment, having gone back to rocking Niall softly in his arms, just watching Harry and Louis and their worried glances at Niall for a moment, somehow having a feeling that none of this would be a good idea, for various reasons.

"Thanks for that, I just… I somehow don't feel like that'd be a good idea, like… he found my apartment, who said he can't find your house? Or maybe he knows it already, I don't… I don't wanna drag you guys into this." This guy seemed to either have a personal problem with Niall despite what he had said or he was just bloody mental, either ways, he hadn't been pestering anybody else except for Niall and Liam, so Liam intended to make sure it stayed like this. Maybe it would've been safer to be with Harry and Louis, but then again… would it really?

"Then what are you gonna do? A hotel?" Didn't sound very good either but definitely better than Liam's own place, plus a hotel was more unexpected, right? Who'd find them there?

"I guess so… what other options do we have anyways? I'm not even sure what this asshole even wants, he obviously wants to scare the hell out of his with things like this but he hasn't even tried to get in here, so what's the point? He doesn't even known whether we even heard him ringing the doorbell or not. What does he fucking want?" Again, there was the weird feeling in the pit of Liam's stomach, as if he should know what this was about but he couldn't connect the dots, couldn't even think of a case similar to this one. Well, there had been one case of course, that had seemed as mysterious to him as this one, but… his girlfriend's death had been an accident, hadn't it? And what would it have to do with this one anyways?

"I don't know, Li… you know there's a lot of psychos out there, he's probably just having fun with this like the weird, sick freak he is, like…. I'd kill him if I ever saw him, that's for sure, and I'm sure we're gonna get him at one point and then I hope he either gets shot or that his ass gets locked up." There weren't any more options other than these two but Liam nodded anyways to what Louis had said, feeling the anger in his voice that he felt pooling in his own stomach. Maybe his was mixed with a bit more fear though, there was a lot more at stake for Liam and though he knew his friends cared about Niall as well, it obviously would hit Liam the very hardest should anything happen.

"Yeah, I hope so, I just… I don't know what we're supposed to do, I'm definitely not gonna go to work tomorrow, but what about after that, like… I can't forever not show up anymore, but I need to find somewhere where Niall is safe and now he definitely can't stay here anymore either. Not that I would've let him or anything, like… maybe I could… ask my parents if he could stay with them or-"

"N-No, I stay w-with you… " Niall speaking up was a bit of a surprise, Liam could barely hear him since his voice was numbed as he had his face pressed into the older man's shirt, immediately causing him to tighten his arms though, feeling bad for having talked about Niall as if he wasn't even here.

"It's okay, baby, I won't send you so far away from me, okay? I was just thinking that it'd be safer for you to be somewhere else, somewhere he couldn't find you so easily, you know I'd go anywhere with you, I… I promise I'm gonna talk to my boss about this, maybe he's gonna give me off for a while and I can take you somewhere, at least for a while, like… maybe they'll catch him in the meantime." The thing that got Liam worried though was the fact that he didn't know what this guy was capable of, what if Liam did take Niall away, say to another country even, what if the gout would follow them, or find them there? And then Liam couldn't even call Louis and Harry for help or anyone else and then in the end they'd be in even more danger than they had been in the beginning. But Niall couldn't know about any of these worries and doubts that Liam was having, never. "I'll figure it out, okay? I promise I will."

There was some silence that wasn't too uncomfortable though, Liam was really busy with scattering Niall's head with kisses anyways, not really watching what Louis or Harry what doing, just thinking about how many promises he had given Niall in the past 24 hours that he couldn't even know whether he'd be able to keep. And what if he couldn't? What if he wouldn't figure this out after all? What if something happened? What would Liam do if he couldn't protect Niall, if he'd have to live on knowing it had been his fault? How would he even carry on afterwards? The answer to that was maybe a bit too obvious.

Liam wouldn't be able to carry on and maybe he had known this all along, there had been a reason after all, why he had studied psychology, why he had wanted to stop working as a police officer, to be able to spend more time at home, but also to be safer.

And more importantly, keep those he loved safe, something that he hadn't managed to do, not back then and maybe not now either.

 

——————

 

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Liam, I just… I have a weird feeling about this." It wasn't the first time that Harry said his worries out loud tonight, also, it wasn't like Liam didn't partly agree with him, but he still had his reasons for doing what he was about to. "Not saying anything is gonna happen, just… I feel like you should come stay at our house instead of the hotel, like… we could be there and help you literally within seconds." 

"I know, but I don't wanna drag you into this, and I know I kinda did already, but… I just feel like the guy knows too much already, that he possibly also knows where you live and it's just… wouldn't it be the most obvious option to stay with you guys? If I were him then I would expect this the most." They were in the car, in Louis' car because the other two had insisted Liam wasn't gonna take his own car since it would've been kinda obvious. Unsurprisingly, their co workers hadn't found anything at all and they had left shortly after Liam had talked to the chief, somehow convincing him to give him tomorrow off, but only under the condition that he still came in sometime during the day, with Niall of course, so they could talk about all of this once more. For tonight though, Liam had decided it'd be best for him and Niall to stay in a hotel, not that there were many options anyways since they definitely couldn't stay at his apartment. 

"Maybe… I mean, no one followed us or anything so I don't see how he could find you here, and it's not so far away from our house either so if you need us, you know… " Which wasn't the only reason Liam had chosen this hotel, it's not like they had a lot of options in a town that wasn't really built for tourism, but apart from that, there was another one too they could've gone to, just… Liam wasn't really ready for relieving a few memories he had had there. 

"Yeah, I know, thank you, guys, really. We'll be okay though… I know we will be." Liam squeezed the blonde boy pressed into his side a bit more tightly, he was sitting in the middle of the backseat just so Niall could cuddle into his side, still refusing to let go of Liam or willing to talk much, obviously too scared and also too shocked to do a lot. It got Liam worried, but he didn't know what to do except for being there for the boy and hold him, trying to calm him down, but it hadn't really gotten any better ever since Harry and Louis had gotten to his apartment. "Ni, you're okay with staying at the hotel, right? Louis and Harry don't live far away and he can't figure out that we're there, no chance."

"Y-Yeah… just w-wanna be w-with you… " Of course, Liam's heart was melting a bit at this, using the chance that Niall was adjusting to press a kiss onto his forehead before pulling him back into his side, thumb brushing up and down the younger boy's cheek, kinda enjoying the way Niall's fingers were holding onto his wrist to make sure his hand stayed where it was. Thinking about it though, it was also rather sad to see how desperate the boy was. 

"I'm not leaving you… never." Had it gone after Niall, Liam was pretty sure that he would have rather stayed with Harry and Louis instead, but he had his reasons not to and they were almost there anyways, they were gonna be alright for sure.

The last few minutes, no one really talked, Liam just cuddled up with Niall in the back, resting his cheek on top of the younger boy's head, somewhat returning Harry's smile when he threw a look back at them, his face still seemingly worried though before he turned back around, quietly talking to Louis for the rest of the drive. What if Liam was making the wrong decision here?

Once Louis stopped the car, Liam hesitated for a moment only, not really wanting to force Niall to walk yet again because he clearly didn't enjoy being outside right now, especially when it was so late, a little bit after 5 in the morning already. Maybe they should've just kept driving, but they wouldn't have been able to keep that up forever either and Niall really needed to sleep for a bit now, in a normal bed.

"Thanks for driving us, Louis…" They'd just take a taxi tomorrow, Liam wasn't half as worried about that than about his boyfriend, he just wanted to get Niall into some hotel room and lie down with him and cuddle him until he fell asleep since Liam was pretty sure he himself wasn't gonna be able to close his eyes anymore tonight. Or better today since it was already this early in the morning.

"No problem… you want us to come inside with you? I'd feel better if you say yes to be honest." Liam already felt guilty for having kept them awake for so long so he decided a few more minutes couldn't make it any worse, plus Niall would probably feel a lot safer with them there as well so he quickly agreed, gently winding his hand out of the younger boy's grip so they could get outside.

"Come on, baby, it'll be fine, I'm not letting go of you, yeah?" Easier said than done, Liam also had to grab his backpack from the other seat, he had just thrown some clothes in there before, since obviously Niall wasn't leaving him a lot of room to move, which was fine though, at least this way Liam could make sure he was alright and fine.

Niall climbed out of the car in the most clumsy way possible, had this not come from his tiredness then Liam would've found it incredibly cute, but now he just felt even more worried as he held onto the boy's hand to make sure he wouldn't fall, not at all surprised as Niall linked their fingers together once they were both outside, hugging Liam's arm close to his chest. 

"All good?" Just to check, though obviously nothing was good at all, but Niall nodded anyways, momentarily leaning his head onto Liam's shoulder as they waited for Harry and Louis. Barely anyone was on the streets or outside considering the time and all, but Liam couldn't help glancing up and down the streets every few seconds, just to be sure. There was no way he could've followed them, they would have immediately noticed a car driving after them. 

It wasn't a fancy hotel or anything, just one that would do the job and Liam honestly couldn't have cared less if it had been crappy or anything, all he needed was a lock in front of the door so no one would be able to get into their room. Well, and a bed for Niall because the blonde boy not only seemed pale as hell and frightened to death but also as if he was gonna trip any second or fall unconscious from lack of sleep. How had Liam let it get this far?

No one was at the reception except for one woman, she didn't look suspicious or anything and Liam almost felt bad for immediately looking around the whole place once they entered, but you could never be careful enough, right? "Hey there, can I help you?"

"Yeah… we need a room for two people, please." Harry and Louis were standing back a little while Liam walked up to the counter with Niall glued to his side, kinda glad that he couldn't hear what his friends were whispering about because he was quite sure he didn't even want to know.

"Okay, no problem… " The woman smiled at him, nodding before typing something into her computer, she didn't seem surprised to see anyone checking in at this time at all and Liam blamed it on what had happened, that he literally found anything weird by now, he just needed to calm the fuck down. "Do you want separate beds?"

"No, one's fine." Not as if Niall wouldn't have found a way to squeeze himself into the tiniest bed right next to Liam, or slept on top of him, maybe Liam should have told her yes just so they'd be forced to be even closer to each other.

"Alright… can I have your name, please?" She typed along on the keyboard while Liam told her, quickly deciding that he was definitely not gonna leave his credit card with her and just pay beforehand, just to be sure. "Okay, good… how many nights?"

"Just until tomorrow." The fact that it would've been unsafe for them to stay longer probably better stayed untold, Liam was just relieved when she handed him a room card after he had payed and told him the door number and floor they were on, her eyes getting stuck on Niall for only a second, probably because he was falling asleep against Liam's shoulder now. "Thanks."

"No problem, have a good stay." Another smile, maybe a bit too bright, but Liam decided she maybe just really liked her job or something, not paying that much attention in the end as he gently pulled Niall with him again towards where Harry and Louis had been waiting, far away so that the lady probably couldn't hear them if they talked quietly enough. 

"Everything alright?" Neither of them seemed very confident about this so Liam tried his best to ignore their looks, especially their stares at Niall because he was aware that the boy didn't give a very good sight right now, but his grip was still tight enough to almost rip Liam's hand off. 

"Everything's good, we… we'll only stay until tomorrow anyways." As if that changed anything because tomorrow would bring even more problems which Liam chose to ignore momentarily, gently pulling Niall a bit so he could stand more in front of him and the older man was able to wrap his second arm around him, holding him tightly against his chest. 

"Yeah… well, we'll see you tomorrow then? Or actually today in a few hours. Call if anythings wrong, okay? And please stay safe." Harry didn't really seem like he wanted to leave right now, but he still forced a smile onto his lips for Niall before ruffling the boy's hair and touching Liam's arm for a second.

"We will, thanks again for coming and for driving us. And you stay safe as well." But it was weird enough already that the guy knew about Niall's and Liam's relationship, he couldn't also know about Harry and Louis, right?

Once Louis had also ruffled Niall's hair and they had all said goodbye to each other, minus Niall because he didn't say one single word, Liam threw another look at the woman still sitting at the reception, just in case, but she was reading a book now, not at all interested in what any of them were up to. Well, it's not like she was the killer, right?

They were in the third floor so they obviously had to take the elevator, even if Niall seemed slightly nervous about that, but he did get inside without saying a word about it, Liam could read it in his face though, making sure to distract him as much as possible with kisses into his face, having let go of his hand just so he could wrap his arm around Niall's waist, hold him even closer than he could have had otherwise.

"I already feel a lot better now than back at my apartment." Liam confessed as they walked down an empty hotel room aisle in search of their room, he did throw a few looks back of course, but there was literally no one there anywhere. 

"Me t-too… " Niall almost only whispered, once more leaning against Liam with almost all his weight once they had found the right room and the older man unlocked the door with the key card, paying lots of attention so that he wouldn't forget to shove it back into his pockets or anything. 

"Hmm… that doesn't look so bad, does it? You wanna go lie down? You look really tired, baby." The room was small, but it wasn't like Liam cared, there could've literally just been a bed and he would've been happy, pulling Niall a little bit closer so that he could kiss his forehead after having closed the door behind them securely. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

"Okay… can I-I… keep your s-shirt on?" Of course Niall was still the cutest human being alive and now that Liam's chest felt a little bit more loose, he actually managed a real smile, pecking the boy's lips shortly because he hadn't really kissed him ever since they had woken up. Not that he really wanted to do anything now, but he still wanted to have Niall close. 

"Of course, Nialler, don't think you really need to still ask that." He was wearing Liam's clothes all the time now and the brunette man loved it, suddenly feeling a whole lot better as he gently poked Niall's side a bit, getting a little giggle out of him that warmed his heart. "Come on now, we better go to bed, it's really late."

"Yeah… " At least now Niall didn't seem like he was dead inside anymore, shortly wrapping his arm around Liam's waist to give him half a hug, not complaining in any way when the brunette man kept holding him for a bit longer than planned.

Since they were only wearing sweatpants and shirts anyways, they only had to slip off their shoes before getting into bed, Liam dropped the backpack somewhere next to his nightstand, not even having fully checked out the room or anything, but he also didn't want to anymore once he saw Niall trying to hold back a yaw, looking like the cuddliest thing in the entire world. Maybe if Liam just stared at him long enough, he was gonna be able to forget about everything bad that had happened.

"Come here, you're way too far away." Literally only two centimeters but Liam was desperate to see Niall smile, making sure they were both properly tucked in as he pulled the boy into his arms, pressing their lips together softly before barely pulling away, his fingers threading through Niall's blonde hair as he looked down at him as far as that was possible without any lights on. "I love you, you know… more than anything in this world."

"I love you t-too… " Maybe Liam was imaging this but he thought he saw Niall's face getting a bit darker, cuddling closer into him, one hand grabbing onto Liam's shirt, maybe to make sure that he would stay. But where exactly would Liam have gone anyways?

"Everything's gonna be alright, Nialler, I know this has been a horrible day, but it's gonna be fine and I would never let anything happen to you. What would I do without you anyways, huh? I'd probably not even survive because I can't even cook and I don't think I could even go to sleep by myself anymore. Besides, we still gotta adopt a puppy and I still have to convince you to move in with me, right? There's so much we still gotta do." Liam knew this was silly, but it was way worth it when he could make out the tiny smile forming on Niall's lips, even if he seemed to still be more than just blushed. Finally some normal reactions, Liam had missed those more than anything. "Go to sleep now, I'm here and I'm watching over you, okay? I promise, I won't fall asleep before you. And also… thanks again for one of the best nights of my life, despite what has happened, no one can take that away from us."

"Y-Yeah… i-it… it was t-the best of m-my life t-too… " That had Liam smiling without even planning on, pressing another kiss onto Niall's mouth, a little bit longer this time but not deepening it, just lingering for a moment before pulling back, hands still soothing the boy's hair, hopefully making him sleepy enough to get some rest.

"Goodnight, Nialler, I won't let you go, never." Unless he'd suddenly feel a terrible urge to pee, but Liam decided he'd be able to hold it in anyways, nothing was more important than holding his boy safely in his arms right now and nothing ever would be.

"Goodnight, Li… "

 

——————

 

Niall slept in rather quickly, just like expected, still helping Liam to slightly calm down though, he had been really scared before when the younger boy had refused to speak and had been shaking all over and clinging to Liam. He still was clinging to him in his sleep but it was different now, he seemed somewhat relaxed in his sleep, sometimes letting these tiny noises escape that he sometimes did whenever he was asleep and it was Liam's favorite thing in the whole world.

Still, despite the fact that Liam was able to stroke the boy's face and kiss it all he wanted while holding him wrapped up in his arms, it didn't take all of his worries away. Yeah, he felt safe here, but only for now and no one had any idea about what tomorrow was gonna bring. Or any day after that.

An hour or so passed by like this and Liam almost felt a bit sleepy himself but refused to give in though, he wanted to stay awake, didn't want to risk anything at all, his only concern was Niall and nothing else, he couldn't let anything happen to his boy, even if that meant a whole lot of lack of sleep.

Having so much time, Liam had a lot of stuff to think about, not only the bad things but also the good ones. It couldn't be possible that someone like Niall came into his life, someone who he loved so unconditionally, who he would do anything for, just for the purpose of losing them again so cruelly, that just couldn't happen, that couldn't have been what the future was holding for them.

At one point, Liam got really emotional, almost about to call his mum or something, tell her everything, but he kept on lying there next to his boyfriend instead, listening to his even breathing and once again thinking back to their first time together, it was still so fresh in his memories seeing as it had literally only been a few hours ago but it still managed to put a smile on Liam's face, maybe even a few tears in his eyes.

He hadn't been lying before when he had told Niall there was so much they still had to do and it was true, Liam did want all of that with Niall, wanted the boy to move in with him, buy him a puppy, and hell, maybe even marry him some day when the time was right, even if his mother would be possibly shedding even more tears than she had a day ago. So much had happened since then though, Liam wasn't even sure anymore whether it had all happened, what he was 100% sure about though was the fact that he and Niall were both here an alright and that they loved each other and nothing in the world would take that away from them.

When Liam's eyelids got a bit heavy, there was a sound that almost had him jerking up, quickly realizing that it was his phone though that he had put on vibrate for Niall's sake, it was still in his pockets and though he kinda hated letting go of Niall with one hand now in order to reach his sweatpants, Liam couldn't just ignore it either.

To be honest, Liam wasn't really expecting anything at all, he barely even felt nervous when he glanced on the screen, yet it still kind of surprised him to see his sister's number popping up, his older sister who had gotten married not even two days ago. Why the hell would she be calling Liam at 6 in the morning?

Immediately, Liam's heart was back at bumping twice as fast, he didn't know what to do for a second, not wanting to wake Niall up for anything in the world but also not wanting to leave the room or leave him all alone here. But he was asleep, right? Liam could just go to the bathroom real quick, the door was locked, no one would be able to come in and Niall was a deep sleeper anyways.

Gently winding out of the boy's grip was the hardest thing ever, Liam wanted to stay, but he barely even had time to tuck Niall in properly and press a kiss to his temple in order to not miss the call. If Nichola was calling him at a time like this, shortly after her wedding, then it must've been serious.

Niall only let a sound escape in his sleep before snuggling into the pillow and Liam forced himself to tear his eyes away, already having the phone pressed to his ear before fully having closed the bathroom door, somewhere blindly finding the light switcher. "Nici? Why're you calling me, everything alright?"

There was no answer for some reason, Liam even checked to see whether he had really picked up or not, but all his screen was showing him was that the call was going, maybe she had accidentally called him or something?

"Hey, can you hear me? Nichola?" Again, no answer, but there definitely was a sound in the background that Liam couldn't really identify properly, coming to the conclusion that she probably had her phone in her purse or something and that she hadn't locked it before putting it in there so now she had called Liam on accident. What other explanation could there be anyways? "Hello?"

Giving it one more try, Liam waited for a few seconds, again saying his sister's name before he quickly gave up as he heard some other weird sound, maybe some faint voices in the background or so, she was probably talking to someone and Liam really didn't want to listen to any of her conversations. Especially since she was on honeymoon and all.

Once he had hung up, he did consider calling his mum or so, just to ask whether everything was alright and all, also with Nichola, just because he wanted to be sure since this was kind of strange. But maybe it had just been bad timing or something, not everything had to do with a murder case, right? He was gonna call her back later today, when it wasn't an unreasonable time anymore, for now he just texted his mum, just to be on the safe side, taking a few minutes longer. 

Putting his phone back into his pockets, Liam turned the lights back off so that he wouldn't startle Niall or anything once he opened the door, feeling slightly guilty for having left the boy, even if it had just been a little while and he probably hadn't woken up anyways, Liam still couldn't fucking wait to get back in bed with him.

When Liam opened the door though, he wasn't thinking about anything at all, wasn't expecting anything bad and maybe that's why the shock was even bigger than it normally would have been anyways. He hadn't been prepared, for nothing at all, his heart literally stopped right there as he froze in the doorway, feeling sick to his stomach as he just stared at the scene in front of him like a fucking idiot, not knowing what in god's name he was supposed to do or how it had happened. 

He had messed up, once again, he had messed it all up and this time there was no chance anymore for him to make it all better, give Niall more promises that he obviously wouldn't be able to hold. He was gonna lose the boy, someone else he hadn't been able to safe, only this time, it was gonna crash his whole world and he would be forced to watch.

There was only one other thing on Liam's mind other than his fear for Niall's life, it was the puzzle pieces in his head finally fitting together as he stared at the stranger that wasn't really one, letting him take a look at the big picture, wanting to punch himself for not realizing it earlier, his voice almost sounding like he was being choked as he spoke up without planning to.

" _You?!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is not my fave chapter but yknow... i think at least the ending is interesting!
> 
> only one more chapter left! im kinda excited about bringing this to an ending ha, hope youre all gonna like how its gonna get solved!


	15. Chapter 15

"Liam Payne. So nice of you to join, haven't seen each other in a while… about two months, huh? Although I believe you had no single idea it was me, but I still strongly believe it was worth waiting for you in the coffee shop. Who would've known that you would grow such a liking of this one here, huh? Niall's his name, right? Such a good boy, hasn't even screamed once yet, has he?" Liam didn't know what to do, his brain was literally empty, everything inside of him was screaming yet there was nothing coming out of his mouth, he wasn't even sure if he caught every single word, he was just staring, right into Niall's bright open eyes, trying to somehow tell him that he was sorry. So fucking sorry.

The scene in front of Liam wasn't exactly a new one and he hated it, hated that it reminded him of back then, at the coffee shop, hated that once again he had nothing to help Niall to get him away from this guy. Had nothing at all to even defend himself or call for help. This was it.

The man was holding Niall pressed against his chest, a hand over his mouth and the other one holding a gun pressed to his temple, exactly like back then. Only this time, he had no mask on and though there were no lights on in the room, Liam could tell who it was, knew because it was getting light outside and they hadn't really pulled the curtains in front of the window. Yeah, Liam knew exactly who it was, knew what this was about immediately. He should've known.

"Let Niall go, we all know this is not about him, if you wanna shoot me then do it, fucking do it but let him go, he has _nothing_ to do with this!" It was a wonder hat Liam even found the words to speak up, his heart was bumping fast, trying to figure out whether he'd be able to get to his backpack and get his gun or reach his pockets for his phone. But any movement could've caused Niall to end up dead, the boy wasn't making a sound but he was crying, hard, and Liam saw him shaking terribly, his heart breaking, so much guilt in his stomach that he thought it was gonna kill him right there at an instant. He had broken all his promises, he hadn't managed to keep Niall safe, he was gonna lose him like this and he would have to watch, it was his fault alone, that Niall was scared to death, Liam had brought him into this situation. They should have never started dating, never become this close, Niall shoulder have NEVER even stayed with Liam, maybe he had been lonely, but that was still better than ending up dead. "Please let him go, please, I'll do anything you want, don't hurt him, he-"

"Awww, isn't that sweet, seeing you beg? You know what, that's exactly why I can't let him go, where would the fun be in that, if I didn't see you suffer a little bit? Why should I have mercy with you, when you also didn't have any back then?" That was the very worst part, though Liam knew that he had done the right thing back then, it had never stopped haunting him, it had faded of course, the memory, but only because it had been overshadowed by his girlfriend's death shortly afterwards. Now though, it all hit him again out of nowhere and he couldn't fucking believe that any of this was happening right now.

It had been maybe a bit over a year and a half ago, when Liam's boss had put him on a case that had caused them maybe even more trouble than this one right here. Of course Liam hadn't been so emotionally involved like he had been now, but he had been frustrated of course, desperately wanting to solve it and find the people involved. Also a bit because his boss trusted him to do this, telling Liam that he believed he was the one who'd be best to lead the case.

There had been a row of various crimes, someone had been killed, then a week later someone else, then there had been a robbery and it carried on like this. The fact that they always seemed to arrive way too late led Liam to believe that it was the same person committing these crimes. Or the same group of people.

They had caught them, after a month or so of investigating, he could remember it so clearly because it had been so nerve wrecking, because he had never felt his heart bumping as fast he had when they had found their secret hiding place, outside of town, in a rather remote area, a house that no one lived in officially. 

The fact that they had been so quick and so good at hiding had always felt really strange to Liam, but once they had gotten there with over 20 policemen, they had found a quick answer to that. It was more like a gang actually, drug dealers, but what was even more surprising was the fact that one of them, the one Liam was staring at right now in his hotel room, was one of his former co workers, who had quit his job about a year after Liam had started. And now they had all finally known why and also where he had had all this information from that had helped them to get away so well.

Also explained why he was so good at this even now, why he had had so much information about Liam himself, knew his name, knew how to run away from the police. Because he had been one of them.

Still, none of this would've been as bad yet, probably wouldn't have led to him wanting to take revenge on Liam. No, Liam knew exactly why. 

When they had arrived, they had of course tried to be quiet, as to not get noticed, to catch them as quickly as possible, avoid anyone getting shot. Sadly, that hadn't really worked out that well after all.

Turned out that they had been expected and the whole thing immediately turned into shots being exchanged, Liam not wanting any of his men to get hurt, risking the very most and then… also ending up as the only one who had deadly injured someone. The guy's wife, who had been part of the gang, as well as his brother, who they had put into jail shortly after that.

Of course it had haunted Liam, that he had been the cause for someone to die, but he was able to live with it, knowing that she would have killed him or any of them, had been shooting at them and had only died later in the ambulance. It was part of his job and he spoken about it with a lot of people, well aware that that was what came with his job. Plus, his own girlfriend had died a few months later and it was only natural that that incident had overshadowed everything else.

No one had ever caught the main guy though, the one who was holding Niall now, he had gotten away, somehow hiding behind his men, and none of them had really believed that he had ever killed anybody, that he had been more the brain of the gang except for anything else. So they had closed the case once they had had confessions for all of the murders and another month had passed with nothing else happening, they gave the case over to another city nearby where they believed the guy had escaped to.

A big mistake.

"She was trying to shoot me and you know it! You think I'd just stand there and let her kill me or any of the others?! I didn't even know that it was your wife, hell, I didn't even know it was _you_ , I barely even remembered you, we've only known each other for a year! I didn't kill her on purpose, her death wasn't my fault, the ambulance was late as well and-"

"Yeah, the ambulance was late because you and your fucking men didn't call it immediately! I can't believe they ever put you on a case like this, you out of everyone, all you ever did was crawling up the chief's ass! You had no fucking idea it was me all along, did you? No bloody idea, and you would've never caught me, because all of you are incompetent and it's actually a shame you stand there and try to defend what you did when you know it was wrong. You're a murder, Liam, you're not better than I am." See, he knew how to hit Liam, that fucking creepy smile on his face getting bigger as Niall whimpered a little bit, holding the blonde boy even tighter and Liam was about to just jerk forward. He couldn't stand this anymore, he was NOT a murderer. "Yeah, now you're speechless, huh? But don't worry, I'll soon give you something to do and I'm gonna leave you with his dead body to live with it, just like I have to."

"Why now?! Why try to get back at me _now_?! It's been over a bloody year!" Actually, Liam didn't fucking care, there were tears in his eyes, he felt sick to his stomach, all he was trying to do was win more time, nothing else, he couldn't watch Niall dying, he just couldn't, he needed to do something, anything.

What happened then was even more unexpected than any of this had already been anyways, Liam was trying to choke back his tears, trying not to look directly into Niall's eyes or at his small, shivering body, the way Liam's too big shirt looked on him, the thought of maybe never being able to kiss or hold him again hurting more than anything else yet almost getting pushed in the background by what he heard then. "Who says I'm only getting back at you now?"

"You… " For a second, Liam was more than confused, not getting what the asshole was smiling about now and then it hit him, causing his eyes to go even wider as he almost felt like throwing up. No… this couldn't fucking be, this was like, a sick fucking joke, right? … right?! "You… you didn't, you-"

"Well, that's for you to decide, Liam, all I have to say is that your relationship apparently hasn't been going that well anyways, so… I wouldn't say that it's living up to what you have done to me." Liam's ears were kinda rushing, feeling as if someone had stuffed cotton in them or so, he could barely concentrate as all of it sunk in. He had killed her, he had killed Liam's pregnant girlfriend, had made it seem like a fucking accident and now… now he was gonna kill Niall. "You know, I always dreamed about this moment to be honest, the moment when you find out that it was me, that your whore of a girlfriend-"

"She wasn't a fucking whore!" Though he wasn't in love with her anymore, of course Liam got angry, maybe he should have held back since this was probably exactly the kinda reaction the guy had hoped for yet he bloody couldn't. This couldn't be reality, none of this was real, it couldn't be.

"Are you so sure about that? Ever wondered why she came home that late? Come on, Liam, we both know she's been cheating on you… probably didn't think it was with me, but… " He shrugged carelessly and that was the last straw, Liam couldn't blink these tears back anymore, it's not that he was so extremely hurt by this, he had known it, deep down, he had even told Niall about this, that he thought his girlfriend had been cheating on him, but… having confirmation and standing right in front of the guy who had done it, someone who had once been something like a friend was just too much. "Don't think she quite knew who I was though, or maybe it was turning her on, you know? At least that would explain her moaning my name every-"

"Shut the fuck up, alright?! She would have NEVER slept with you if she had known who you were!" His girlfriend and Liam had had differences, but she wouldn't have slept with a fucking drug dealer, a criminal the police was looking for for god's sake! Yet still, Liam had doubts all of a sudden, about everything, he couldn't stand this anymore, he needed to find a way out of here, needed to find a way to at least get Niall into safety, nothing else mattered.

"No need to defend the whore, Liam, she did try to end it, told me she was pregnant from you, so at least she had the decency to not keep fucking around when she was about to have a family with you. Anyways, that bitch really thought she'd get away with that, huh? As if. She was even too dumb to drive, maybe I helped a little bit though, not like I don't know exactly what the police is looking for when they look at the car wreck. Just had to make sure it got destroyed too much to still identify what has gone wrong. Well, and of course enough so that your lovely girlfriend wasn't gonna live to talk about me." Oh god. Fuck, Liam had been right, all along, that fucking asshole really had done something to the car and now he was standing there with this smug grin and his gun pressed right into Niall's temple and Liam wouldn't be able to watch, he couldn't let this happen, he needed to- "Move your hand any closer to your pocket and I'm gonna blow the kid's brain out, that's a promise. I will sooner or later, but it's so much fun right now, seeing your reaction to all of this, it's definitely been worth it."

"You fucked my girlfriend and you killed her, and my unborn child, is that not enough revenge?! Why the fuck do you want to kill Niall?!" Of course Liam knew the answer, but he was getting desperate now, there was nothing he could do and he knew, no matter if he screamed or tried to fight the guy, everything would lead to Niall getting shot. His boy getting killed.

"Remember my brother? That YOU put into jail? He died there, a few months ago, I actually wanted to leave the country, but… well, I remembered that you little prick are still running around and possibly have gotten over the whore's death by now, so… I figured I'd give you a goodbye present first. And it was all so well planned, I knew exactly when and where you drive your routine with that other idiot, Styles, right? I knew you'd be the first one there and I know how things work, I blocked the backdoor and all, and actually I just wanted to frustrate you a little bit, but then… well, then I saw our little Niall here and I know exactly how you're always trying to be the warm hearted guy, you wouldn't have let me shoot him, even if that would've meant I'd get away. So I decided to wait, make sure it really was you and well… I can't say it didn't go exactly like planned. And even better now that you thought I was just after the boy, you did everything wrong, Liam, from the second you walked into that coffee shop until the moment you started dating this boy. You just gave me someone else I can take from you." Somehow Liam wasn't even able to feel shocked anymore, at least now all the pieces fit together, he didn't care anymore, if he couldn't save Niall, if he had to WATCH, Liam wasn't gonna carry on, he had a gun his backpack, he wasn't gonna walk out of here and live with that pain. "So that would make two then, right? Two people you took from me and two I took from you. Actually… I wanted to pay your family a little visit, but when I was at your sister's wedding I saw you and Niall being all cute and cuddly and what can I say… it was too tempting to go after him instead."

"You… you were at the wedding?!" Fuck. FUCK! How had Liam not seen him?! How had he not fucking noticed, he could've ended it right there, he could have… and if Niall and him had done what Niall had wanted them to? Hide their relationship? Then… then Niall would've been safe.

"Of course, would've been rude of me not to, right? I've been in the area anyways, wasn't quite sure anymore where your family lived but it wasn't exactly hard to find out. I only got last row seats for the actual wedding though, sadly, but luckily I was able to get to the changing rooms without anyone even noticing. I knew your sister's phone would come into handy and it really did, didn't it?" Oh god… was there anything he didn't know?! Anything at all? Liam felt like he had to throw up, or sit down, his head felt slightly dizzy, he couldn't stand to see Niall like this anymore either, his baby suffering like this, having to hear all of that, all with a gun pressed to his temple when he already had had nightmares from it anyways. Niall's eyes were pressed closed now but there were still constantly dropping down tears his cheek that were driving Liam fucking insane. 

"How…. how did you get in here?" Liam felt like he had already lost, he felt helpless, like there was no way out, nothing he could do, he couldn't move, couldn't try to get his gun or get his phone, couldn't call for help, because all of that would have lead to Niall getting killed right in front of his eyes, all because of him. 

"Was in here all along, Liam, nice, big closet, not my fault you didn't check the room. The lady downstairs is more than just delusional, I told her you would come, described you to her, and the boy, I told her I was gonna surprise you, that we were planning on getting together but you had no idea I was there already, so I booked a room and convinced her to give you this one, and she simply gave me a key card. Almost too easy if you ask me. I only needed to get you out of the house, I knew after I talked to the boy you weren't gonna leave him alone anymore and I didn't really wanna break into your place. So I decided I was instead gonna make you leave, and you did, you did _exactly_ what I thought you would do, didn't stay with your friends, though I know where they live too so that wouldn't have been a problem. I also knew you were choose that hotel, it's not closest to where your dumb friends live, but it's the second closest. After the one you weren't gonna go to because you had your romantic weekend with your girlfriend there. Yeah, she told me about it, told me you didn't really bring it but at least she got a weekend off and I'm really thankful she let me know because now we're all here, right? Now we have our get together after all." This had been planned out so well, Liam didn't even know what to reply, or what to even say anymore, the guy had wanted this so badly, he hadn't left any holes, anything Liam could do in order to escape. That was it, truly, they had no chance, they had done everything wrong, or Liam had more like, all of it, all his tries to protect Niall had lead to this. All of it.

"Don't… don't kill him. Kill me instead, do anything you want to me, you can still get your revenge, it's me you're mad at, it's me you truly want to see hurt, so why not just do it? I'm offering it to you, just let Niall go and you can do anything you want to me, you can let it all out on me, everything I have done, but leave him out of this, killing him won't bring you the relief you want." What else was there other than beg, Liam's throat was tight, he barely even was able to think of the right things to say anymore, his eyes getting stuck on the messed up bed for a moment, heart hurting as he thought about Niall having slept there only minutes before, getting woken up by this guy holding a hand pressed over his mouth, now having to stand there and be more scared than ever, having to watch Liam being completely clueless about what to do. Having to deal with the thought of being killed any second.

"Who says I won't see you hurt? I know where your family lives, Liam, I know where your friends live, I know everything about you, I had enough time to gather all the information I need and now I can do anything to you I want. I lost everything because of you, my wife is dead, my brother is dead, my friends are in jail, all because of you. You're gonna see what it's like, to have no one, and you're gonna be scared to even get close to anyone ever again because you're gonna think of me, and you're gonna think of your dead girlfriend's body and of Niall's once I'm done with him. Killing you would be too easy, torturing you wouldn't last long enough, I'd rather make sure the rest of your life his hell rather than the next few hours. And if you decide to kill yourself, then do it while knowing that I won't stop even afterwards, kill yourself while knowing you're leaving them all behind to die." Liam knew he had no chance, that nothing he said was gonna change this guy's mind, he had been planning this way too long and too well. And now everyone was in danger, everyone Liam knew was in danger. 

"They're gonna find you, I know who you are, everyone at the station does, we're gonna-"

"Gonna do what, Liam? You knew how I looked like before and yet you never caught me, the boy knew how I looked like as well, probably couldn't really tell you about it but still, what's that gonna help you? Nothing at all, I know how to do my research and I know exactly how to avoid you idiots catching me. There's a reason they didn't really want to let me go when I quit and now you know it." All of this was true, the digital picture of him hadn't looked very much like him at all or everyone, including Liam, would have immediately known. Then again though, that wouldn't have helped, would it? "So, since we've been chatting for long enough now, I suggest we get on with this, I must admit though, I kinda enjoy all of this, it was fun really, especially yesterday when I got to meet Niall properly, I never thought everything would work out this extremely well, but… who would've thought you'd do exactly what I thought you would? And on top of it all you started dating the boy I almost killed. I guess you didn't really save his life after all, did you?"

"Please… don't hurt him, please, I-"

"Shush, I don't need you to beg, you're getting on my nerves, what are you, a five year old girl?" His voice had gotten rougher now, not that that could've scared Liam anymore, he wasn't able to hold those tears in for any longer, not when Niall whimpered a bit in the man's arms as he got louder, having opened his eyes again, still crying yet not looking at Liam anymore but rather at the floor, hurting the brunette man even more inside. Niall knew that Liam had let him down, he knew he had broken all those promises and Liam deserved it, deserved not getting a look from the boy anymore. "So, any last words? Anything dumb, emotional you can come up with, Liam? Or are you just gonna replace him a year later like the whore?"

Of course Liam felt anger bubbling up inside of him once more, but he had no energy left to even get mad, he knew the man was just trying to get him worked up, hurt him in any way possible, he knew how he felt himself. And he also knew that he wasn't gonna live on, he couldn't take it and that maybe was the only calming thought he had. And maybe there really was life after death, maybe he'd meet Niall there and maybe the boy would be able to forgive him in another life. 

"No? Nothing at all? Well that's a bit sad, isn't it? What about you, Niall? Anything to say? If you scream I'm not gonna only blow your head off but I'm also gonna shoot your boyfriend right in the leg. Or maybe his arm, we'll see." He seriously lowered his hand from Niall's mouth and Liam felt like he already was dead inside as he heard the boy releasing a quiet sob, not daring to move, but he did finally look up to meet Liam's eyes, there were tears shimmering in his and Liam had never felt a greater urge to wrap the boy up into his arm and never let go. He'd never be able to do that again. Never.

"I-I… " Almost choking on his words, Liam could feel his own tears spilling over, he couldn't do this, I couldn't just stand there and watch, he couldn't, he couldn't let this happen, it was his job to take care of Niall, he couldn't let anyone take away the most important thing in his life, it just couldn't be happening. "I-I l-love y-you, L-Li… "

As soon as it was out, Liam felt his heart stopping, there was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed Niall to know, but none of the words were coming out, he couldn't breathe anymore, he was just staring at Niall, watched him crying, saw how scared he was and something inside of him just snapped. No, Liam wasn't gonna let this happen, this man was about to crash his whole world and Liam would have to do everything in order to try and save his boy. 

Time seemed to stop for a moment, they weren't all standing that far apart, it wasn't like Liam would've needed ages to get to them, but still long enough as to where the guy would've been able to stop him easily. None of that was on Liam's mind though when he decided, he didn't even think it through, he just looked Niall into the eyes, feeling so much love for the boy that nothing else in the world mattered. Nothing would ever matter as much to him as Niall did.

Liam just ignored the fact that the guy had a gun that he momentarily wasn't even holding against Niall's temple, and maybe it would've been better if he had, because when Liam just went for it without thinking it through, the other man was even quicker to react and everything that happened from there on was just a blur to Liam.

"STAY THE FUCK BACK!" Almost immediately after it was out, there was a noise and then Liam felt a stinging and burning pain in his shoulder, his vision getting blurry, all he could hear was Niall screaming in the background just as Liam's head hit the floor, his hand automatically grabbing onto his hurting shoulder, barely being able to think through the pain, all he knew was that he needed to save Niall but he could barely even move. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOVE! GET THE FUCK UP!"

"N-NO, DON'T H-HURT HIM!" Niall was screaming so loud that Liam felt goosebumps on his arms, but it still sounded as if it was coming from further away, he was trying so hard not to loose consciousness, he knew he had hit his head pretty hard, knew that he had been shot in the shoulder, but knowing about it wasn't exactly making any of that better. "L-LIAM! LIAM, S-STAY AWAKE!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I'M GONNA SHOOT HIM RIGHT IN FRONT OF Y-"

There were stars dancing in front of Liam's eyes now, he wanted to sit up, he really did, but everything hurt and he literally had no idea anymore what was going on, all he knew was that he was trying to follow what Niall had been screaming at him, trying not to let his eyes fall closed though he desperately wanted to, immediately having them flying open though when he heard yet another loud noise, one that even interrupted all the screaming.

It hadn't been a gunshot, Liam was pretty sure, but it all went so fast that he barely had any time to think about it, plus the pounding in his head wasn't helping very much either, all he knew was that there definitely was another voice he heard. One that hadn't been there before. "Let him go immediately."

"HARRY, HE SH-"

Niall's voice was cut off by something yet Liam suddenly felt his heart bumping faster, was Harry really here? Or was he just slowly slipping into unconsciousness? Fuck, why the hell couldn't he bloody move, why was it hurting so badly he could barely even blink his eyes back open?! "Ah, Styles and Tomlinson, nice of you to join. Well, I don't really feel like letting him go though, you know? I promised Liam that I was gonna take care of his little boyfriend here and we kinda still have to discuss something here, so."

"We should've known it was you, you fucking psycho! Let Niall go, he has nothing to do with this." That was Louis' voice, Liam was pretty sure, yet somehow he didn't feel relieved at all, he felt panicked actually, he couldn't properly move and now his best friends had been dragged into this as well, however they had gotten in here, and Niall was still in danger. Shit, Liam needed to get to him, he needed to save him, but he couldn't really when he was slipping half out of consciousness every three seconds.

"Listen, I don't have time to have a chat with- AH, SHIT, YOU FUCKING-"

"LOUIS, DO IT!" And the next sound Liam heard definitely was a gunshot, one that had his insides twist because he had no idea from who it had come or who had gotten hurt, IF someone had gotten hurt at all, he was still pressing his hand against his shoulder, feeling the blood sicker through his shirt, dark spots dancing in front of his eyes as he felt tears building up. What if he had shot Niall?! Liam couldn't even turn his head properly to look, everything was just a blur, it was all Liam's fault, everything, he had gotten them all killed, he hadn't managed to protect his boy, how in god's name was he gonna-

"Liam!" There was so much relief rushing through him when he heard that voice calling for him, Liam felt tears spilling over, releasing a rather shaky breath, still not able to breathe properly or even take in what was going on, he was still on the floor obviously, feeling another rush of pain when a weight was added to his chest., his lips kinda feeling too numb to bring out one single word. "L-Liam… Liam, s-say something, p-please… Li, are y-you o-okay?! P-Please d-don't d-die, I n-need y-you… H-Harry, do s-something!"

"Shhh, Niall, it's okay, I promise, it's okay, Louis' calling an ambulance, okay? It'll be fine… careful, don't touch his shoulder. He's gonna be fine, yeah?" The sobbing clearly coming from Niall broke Liam's heart, but he did manage to blink his eyes open, not being able to believe that he could see the blonde boy's face above his, it was red and wet with tears but Niall was there and he was fine. Fuck, Liam couldn't believe their luck, Niall could have been dead, his baby could have died and Liam might have never been able to hold him or kiss, he just… he couldn't help having more tears spill over, maybe also a little bit from the overwhelming pain, trying to fight through it and keep his eyes open, for Niall.

"Baby… I'm sorry…" All Liam brought out was half a whisper, but he did see the expression in Niall's face change as he leaned closer, probably pressing his hand to Liam's cheek because that's what it felt like, his thumb rubbing over the skin yet the older man wasn't 100% sure what he was feeling except for the pain. 

"I'm h-here, Li, don't w-worry… it'll be o-okay, he's… d-dead. I… I love you s-so much, p-please stay awake, o-okay? I'm here, it's a-all good n-now… " Niall was clearly trying so hard, Liam would have forced a smile for him had he not felt seconds from passing out, so instead he just tried to keep his eyes open in order to not freak the blonde boy out even more, even if he wanted to press them shut and curl into a ball. And possibly sob because of how relieved he was, he could barely grasp a clear thought, all he was thinking of was that it had been fucking impossible for them to come out of this, alive… but they fucking had. "Harry… t-there's s-so much blood… "

"I know… stay with him, okay? I'll be right back, I'll just go to the bathroom, don't… don't look behind you, okay? Look, Louis is back, alright?" Liam hadn't even seen Harry or Louis, he had a hard time just concentrating on Niall's face, the boy barely ever looked away from him, but he nodded once before wiping over his cheek with one hand, other one still cupping Liam's face. God, why were his eyes so heavy? 

"Everything will be fine, Niall, I promise, he can pull through, it's only his shoulder and I know it looks bad but the ambulance will be here soon and they're gonna fix him, alright?" To be quite honest, Liam wasn't so sure about any of that, he had never been shot before so that's why he had never been in greater pain, but right now it felt like he was gonna die or pass out from it any second. But he couldn't, he needed to pull through this, for Niall. "Is Harry getting towels?"

"Y-Yeah… L-Louis… is he r-really… d-dead?" Niall's voice was so shaky, Liam wished he could've reached out for him, comfort him, but he barely even had strength to press onto his wound. 

"He is, don't worry, okay? Don't look behind you, it's okay, we got it." Did Liam even want to know why Niall had been told twice to not look behind him? Probably not, the sight couldn't have been very nice and just the thought of turning his head was too much for Liam, he so desperately wanted to let his eyes drop closed, only thing somehow keeping him from doing it was Niall's thumb evenly brushing over his cheek. 

"… alright, here, I got a towel." Harry came back only half a minute later, after Liam had been trying his hardest to not force himself to speak, somehow that seemed to make everything even worse, as if all the little energy he had left was draining from him. "Liam, this is gonna hurt, okay, I'm sorry, but we gotta try to stop the bleeding, alright? Can you move your hand when I say it and I'll press it on your shoulder?" 

"Okay… " Liam half choked out, only looking at Niall though because that was the only thing keeping him sane, no matter what happened, Niall was safe and that was really all Liam needed in the end.

"Alright… take a breath, yeah?" Taking a breath was actually easier said than done, especially since Liam was trying not to accidentally let out a groan of pain just so he wouldn't scare Niall, he needed to pretend it wasn't half as bad, even if… well, even if he could barely speak. "On three, okay? One, two… three."

It hurt like a bitch when Harry pressed the towel to Liam's shoulder, mostly because he applied a lot more pressure than Liam had managed to with his hand, his heart skipping a beat as he took a sharp breath, automatically pressing his eyes closed.

"You're h-hurting him!" Niall sounded really panicked, his hand left Liam's cheek and the older man almost got scared thinking he was gonna leave or something, flinching slightly when he felt Niall's hand wrapping around his own instead, obviously not caring that it was full of blood.

"I have to press down, I'm sorry… are you okay, Liam?" No, not at all, Liam had never felt worse yet he tried to somehow get his voice back, giving Niall's hand a squeeze, as tightly as he could somehow manage. 

"… 'm fine… d-don't worry… " Blinking his eyes back open, Liam almost regretted it, there were tears running down Niall's cheeks again, his face was red, fingers tightly curled around Liam's, part of his weight pressing into the brunette man's side because of how close he was. No matter how badly he was hurting, Liam couldn't bear to see the boy sad, or know that Niall was worrying about him. "Ni… 'm okay… it'll be fine… I promise… you're safe… " 

"B-But you're b-bleeding, L-Li a-and… and y-you're looking l-like y-you'll p-pass o-out and… p-please don't d-die… I n-need y-you… so m-much… " The fact that the situation had almost turned around now and switched their positions was almost too good to be true, Liam still couldn't believe that Niall was completely unharmed, that he was fine, physically, and that Louis and Harry had somehow gotten here in time to save them. As long as Niall was gonna walk out of this and be alright, Liam didn't care what else happened.

"… I know, baby… " Slowly pulling his hand out of Niall's, with a bit of force because the younger boy's grip had been so tight, trying to keep his breath even as he lifted his good arm a bit, deciding that forcing a smile for Niall would be too hard, and inappropriate as well, the poor boy was way too freaked out. "C'mere… "

Hesitating for only a second, Niall let out a sob before leaning down closer, face drenched in tears before he buried his face in Liam's chest, still trying to be careful though, his body shaking against the older man's as Liam rested his hand on the back of Niall's head. "I l-love y-you, I-I… I t-thought he w-was g-gonna k-kill me, L-Liam, I-I… I w-was s-so s-scared and w-when h-he … s-shot y-you I thought … y-you w-were d-dead a-and… "

"Shhh… it's okay… you don't have to be scared anymore, you're safe now… I love you too, baby, so much… it'll be fine, everything will be fine… " Hopefully it would be, all Liam knew when he let his eyes fall closed and lightly kept stroking Niall's hair was that no matter what was going to happen, Louis and Harry were gonna take care of this, take care of Niall and there was nothing to worry about anymore. 

They were safe, finally.

 

———————

 

Liam didn't pass out, but it seemed to take ages until the ambulance got there, Louis went to get them from the lobby, and also the police, so basically Liam's boss, who he luckily didn't have to see though because they got him outside before that, almost sending Niall away to stay with Harry and Louis but Liam made sure to tell them that the boy was gonna stay with him, even if it was hard to talk. As much as Niall wanted to stay with Liam, as much did Liam need the boy by his side, he'd never let him out of his sight again, no matter what happened, he was never gonna risk Niall's life like this again, he'd be 10 times more careful from now on.

The ambulance ride was horrible, mostly because they cut Liam's shirt off and kind of bandaged his arm, having him let out a whine of pain more than just once which of course affected Niall too. He was holding Liam's hand the entire time, though they both had blood spots everywhere, his fingers were threading through Liam's hair, sometimes pulling a bit too hard on accident, voice shaky as he did his best to distract Liam with random stories, over and over again telling him how much he loved him and how Liam needed to be strong for him. And hell, he would be, even if every breath still hurt, but after they had injected something a bit too close to his wound, the pain was getting a bit more dull yet that wasn't exactly helping to clear his head on the other side. He just needed that fucking bullet out of his shoulder and he needed Niall close, nothing else.

"Alright… maybe you should leave now, you can wait right outside, I don't think it's gonna take very long, but it won't be very pretty to watch." The doctor was rather nice, though Liam wasn't paying that much attention to what anyone was saying, all he knew was that his heart was bumping uncomfortably hard at the thought of getting his shoulder fixed. In Niall's presence, since the boy had obviously refused to leave his side at any time, even once they had gotten to the hospital and Liam wouldn't have wanted him to but he was also worried about whether it'd be good for him to stay through this.

"No, I… I'm gonna stay, I won't leave him." Niall had managed to stop crying on and off when Liam had become a bit more himself again, it was amazing actually, to see Niall being the strong one who was telling him it'd be fine, who held his hand and kissed his forehead, even if Liam didn't deserve it. He needed to apologize, properly, they needed to talk about all of this, but they obviously hadn't had a chance yet to be alone.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, look… I know what you've been through, I know what happened and that you don't want to leave him, but-"

"He's staying with me." Liam interrupted, having to clear his throat a bit, not sounding half as confident as he had wanted to and yeah, he didn't want Niall to get freaked out, but… he also wasn't sure if he'd survive not having the boy in his reach, holding his hand. 

"Alright then… " The doctor sighed but let them be before getting up from where he had been sitting next to where Liam was lying, obviously about to get his tools now and Liam purposely turned his head away, trying to calm himself down by looking at his gorgeous boyfriend, who even managed something like half a smile when he squeezed Liam's fingers.

"It's okay, Li, I… I'm here… " Leaning in closer, Niall pressed a kiss to Liam's temple, their hands intertwined, brushing against Liam's bare side since his shirt was obviously gone and Niall's free hand had once more found its way into his hair. "It'll be over soon… "

"Yeah… thank you for… being here. And for staying with me…" Niall would have had every reason to be angry at Liam, the brunette man had broken about 50 promises and he had almost gotten the boy killed, he had no idea how Niall managed to be so loving and sweet and how he was able to just push aside what had happened and just be there for Liam. He was still scared inside for sure, Liam was too, he could only guess how many nightmares this was gonna bring, maybe therapy again, but he knew that he'd be there for Niall, whatever happened and even if the boy would decide to be mad at him once that bullet was out of Liam's shoulder. "I love you… "

"I love you too, Li… " Their half whispered conversation got interrupted when the doctor came back, getting some latex gloves on that almost had Liam closing his eyes. Especially when he looked at all the things in the man's hand that he was definitely about to use on him.

"Okay, I'm gonna cut the bandage off and see how much it bleeds and how deep it has gotten, it hasn't gone through so that's good. I could give you another injection if you like, to numb the area a bit more." No, Liam was definitely not gonna survive getting a needle stuck into his wound one more time, it was literally like sliding a blade through his shoulder and he didn't yet want to start crying again. At least not now, so he shook his head, not really trusting his voice because of how scared he suddenly had gotten. "Alright, I'm gonna start now. I'm not gonna lie, this is gonna hurt a lot, but please try to stay as still as possible, the sooner we get it out the better, if we don't we might have to do surgery, which would also means that it did a lot more damage than we thought. So if I get it out now then it's definitely for the better." 

"Okay… " Fuck, he wasn't gonna survive this, Liam was so fucking scared, trying not to shake too much, his only source of comfort was thinking that it was better him than Niall, better he was almost dying from pain than his sweet boy. 

The beginning was bearable, the doctor just cut the bandage off, it did sting when he pulled it off, but Liam was able to bite his teeth through it, having turned his head away a long time ago, towards where Niall was sitting on the other side, still combing Liam's hair with his fingers, offering a comforting smile whenever their eyes met. 

Which only worked until the doctor started to really touch and look at Liam's shoulder because that's when the brunette man had to press his eyes shut, feeling like his lunges just closed up, not letting any air pass through because of how prominent the pain was. And he hadn't even really gotten started. "Breathe, Li… "

Niall's comforting words only sometimes came through to Liam, he was more focused on not squishing the boy's hand in his and somehow trying not to let out a yelp in pain or pull away once he felt something basically digging right into his wound. It was bloody horrible, more than that, Liam couldn't even calm himself down knowing that they were most likely gonna be walking out of here alive and well because right now it didn't feel like he was ever gonna do anything again.

The tears came somewhere towards the end, no idea what that man was doing to his shoulder but it had Liam seeing stars behind closed eyes before he felt wetness on his cheeks, not even fully aware anymore when he let out an unwilling sob, immediately feeling Niall's hand tighten, the boy's breath hitting his face as he leaned even closer. 

"It's almost over, Li, you're doing so good." Liam doubted the last part, but he still tried to concentrate on Niall's voice, on his soft touches, playing with his hair and thumbing at his ear, not exactly able to stop the pain or the tears, but without him, it would've been 10 times worse.

The whole procedure probably didn't take very long but it seemed to take ages for Liam, by the time the doctor was stitching up his wound and then put new bandages on, and disinfected it which hurt like a bitch, Liam could barely even feel anything anymore, he never wanted to be in this much pain again, but he'd do it again in a heartbeat if that'd save Niall.

"Alright, we're done. You're lucky, it didn't hit any major vessels or muscles, you should be fine in a few weeks, maybe a bit of physiotherapy and all that's gonna stay is a scar." The wound was pounding when the man finally stopped touching Liam anywhere and he tried to blink his eyes open, not really able to lift his arm to dry his face, but Niall was already doing it for him anyways, softly brushing his thumb underneath Liam's eyes, still tightly holding his hand with his free one. "I'll make sure you get something for the pain, and I understand you hit your head pretty hard, so we'll do a scan as well, I'm gonna send someone in who will take care of you, alright?"

Not feeling very well up for speaking, Liam simply nodded, not very keen on having his head scanned but not caring that much about it either, he was so bloody exhausted now, barely able to feel the relief when the pain was fading slightly or when he looked into Niall's face once they were alone, his stomach twisting a bit when he saw how red the boy's eyes were. "Ni… don't cry, baby… I'm sorry, it wasn't… that bad, just-"

"I know it was bad, Li… really, really bad, but you did so good, I would've been bawling like a baby… once again." He added, attempting a small smile before wiping his eyes a bit, immediately moving his hand back then to cup Liam's cheek once more, his face maybe turning a little bit red and the older man could've cried yet again from seeing Niall blush. There had been a possibility he might have never seen that again. "You're so brave… I know how much it must have hurt and… and before… you saved me, he would have surely shot me if you hadn't tried to stop him and… and you… you would've let him do anything to you, just so he'd let me go, wouldn't you?"

At this question, Liam felt himself getting softer inside as he stared up into the younger boy's face, wishing he could've reached out to try and smooth his frown out with his thumb. "Yes. You're all that matters to me, Niall, I don't care what I have to go through if I can only be sure you're alright… and I owe you an apology, I… I never would have thought that it was him, that… that he was doing this all to hurt me, we… no _I_ should've been more careful, I didn't protect you and it's my fault that he almost… and I'm so sorry, Niall, we shouldn't have gone to the hotel, I should have… I should have done a lot of things differently and I risked your life even if I thought it was what was best and… I almost lost you and I'm never gonna forgive myself for this."

"But you couldn't have known, Li, and you always do your best to protect me and you did save me, you don't have to apologize, I'd… I'd be dead without you." Hearing him say it like that was horrible, Liam had to fit back more tears, not able to handle the thought of what could have gone wrong or differently, what if they weren't here together right now, alive.

"Without me you would've never gotten into this situation, babe… " It was true, had Liam known, he would have made sure Niall stayed away from him, had he known, he… he would've made _everyone_ stay away from him in order to protect them, it had all been Liam's fault, also that two other innocent people had died in the coffee shop.

"That's not true, Li, I don't care what I would be without you because I don't ever wanna be, I don't regret anything that has happened. That guy is a psycho and yeah, he wanted to get back on you, but that's not your fault and I… if it wasn't for you then maybe none of this would have happened but I… I always felt horrible before I met you, and lonely, and I'd take anything on me so it won't ever be like that again… I love you and I don't care what happens, I just wanna be with you. And don't blame yourself because you're a good person and you always do what's best for other people, none of this is your fault." When Niall finished Liam felt his throat getting tight, the answer he had planned suddenly not fitting anymore when he saw the look on Niall's face, how firm his voice had sounded, as if he truly and really believed all of this, how much he loved Liam and just wanted to be with him, regardless of what had happened, of what might happen. 

"I… " Feeling tears welling up again, Liam didn't know what to respond, he had always been the one calming Niall down and comforting him, but having the younger boy doing the exact same thing to him now was getting him more than just emotional. God, he was so in love with this kid. "Thank you so much, baby, I… I love you too, more than anything in this world and that won't ever change. I'd never purposely put you in danger and when I thought that he was gonna… do anything to you, I… I wouldn't have survived that, I just… I can't lose you, it's different from anything I've ever felt before, but it's so good and I just… I love you so much, Nialler, I couldn't do this without you... come here."

They hadn't kissed in what felt like forever, so when Niall threw that smile at him before leaning in closer, their breath mixing as their eyes fell closed, Liam felt like the luckiest guy in the world, even if he had done so many things wrong, even if his shoulder was still sending waves of pain through his body and he was slowly getting cold without a shirt on, everything had turned out well in the end and for now he was just happy to have the most beautiful and most amazing boyfriend in the world. And that he was allowed to keep him.

 

———————

 

It was a long day, Liam had to force himself to stay awake more than once, knowing that Niall must have felt quite the same, but he stuck to his side through everything, except for when they had to scan his head because no one was allowed to be inside the room obviously, but it only took a few minutes before the blonde boy was back at holding his hand, offering kisses and cuddles every time they could squeeze them in.

The worst part after having gotten the bullet removed was definitely when Liam's boss came to talk to them, since someone obviously had to file a report and all. It was hard talking about all of this, especially with Niall being there, because there were a few things Liam hadn't told the boy, that he had now heard from this asshole, especially the part of when Liam had wounded his wife, been responsible for her death. But he had just been defending himself, if he hadn't, then he'd be the one dead instead.

Harry and Louis had come with the chief, but they were waiting by the door in Liam's room, still listening to it all though, which was good because there was no way he could've repeated that a second time, even with Niall sitting next to him on the bed and holding Liam's hand in his lap, between both of his. Liam had to stay over night, because he had a light concussion and also because they wanted to make sure the stitches weren't gonna rip or anything, but he couldn't bloody wait to get back home and cuddle with Niall, properly, and never ever let him go again.

"Alright, thank you so much, Liam, I… I'm really sorry that this escalated to such an extend, I would've never thought it was him, also not from the picture we had. I'm so glad you made it out alive, Liam… and you as well, Niall, of course. I'm gonna leave you to it now, we'll talk tomorrow, alright?" He smiled, but the shock was still clear in his face before he got up to walk towards the door, stopping on the way to look at Harry and Louis. "Styles, Tomlinson. Good job, if you carry on like that I might allow you to be partners again."

"Thank you so much." Harry rolled his eyes, since it had obviously been a joke, joining the chief's laughter for a second until he had left the room, pulling the door closed behind him and leaving the four of them to themselves. "How're you feeling, Li? Any complications? Sorry we only got here now, we had to… you know. Zayn's gonna come later to visit, he's on duty."

"I'm good, as far as… but I know, don't worry, Niall was here the whole time anyways, no matter how boring it probably was to wait." Liam felt a lot better now that he had talked to Niall, which had already been hours ago though, but ever since they had basically not let go of each other. And Liam didn't plan on doing it any time soon. 

"It wasn't boring, Li, I'd wait anywhere for you, you know that." Though he rolled his eyes, there was a small smile on Niall's face before he leaned down a bit to kiss Liam's lips shortly, but very sweetly, his cheeks a bit flushed when Louis made some sound as they pulled apart and Liam had to bite his lip to suppress his laugh. God, his boyfriend was so fucking cute.

"Well, aren't you guys adorable? I always said that, from the very beginning, should've listened to me a lot sooner." There was a wink before Harry let himself fall into the chair next to Liam's bed while Louis got the other one, his face getting a bit more serious though after a short pause. "Never thought that… that it was gonna come to this, you know, that's just… I still can't believe what happened and… that it was him all along… " 

"I know… but at least it makes sense now and at least… at least he's dead." Liam had hesitated for a moment, also because he still didn't know how any of this had went down, he was glad for feeling Niall's hands around his and the boy pressing into his side, even more when he half lied down next to Liam just like the older man, it was very calming. "How did you… you know, show up right in time?"

"We couldn't sleep, I… Harry had a really bad feeling and I did too, we did drive back home, but… you know it just seemed wrong to leave you guys alone there when we couldn't sleep anyways. So we drove back after contemplating for a while and… we talked to the woman at the reception, showed her our ID's and when she told us that some guy had come by before you and was waiting in your room we immediately knew… it was just luck, that we came there in time, we had to kick in the door, which was good I guess because he was about to shoot you again and… Niall bit his hand to distract him and then I… well, I shot him right in the face, it wasn't a pretty sight, but… it did the job." Oh. Liam hadn't known that Niall had bitten the guy or anything, but now he felt pride swelling in his chest as he looked over to his boyfriend who was cuddling as close as humanly possible, blushing a bit when Liam pressed a kiss to his shoulder because it was all he could reach without moving too much. 

"Thank you so much, I…. he would've done something to Niall if you hadn't gotten there in time, we wouldn't have-"

"Li, stop, okay? You don't have to thank us for anything, do you think we'd let him shoot any of you? Of course not. You just gotta recover soon, alright? And if you ever need us then we'll be right there, also counts for you, Niall, of course." Pretty sure Liam didn't deserve a perfect boyfriend AND friends like Harry and Louis, it was a bit overwhelming actually, he almost felt close to tears again, like he had the last few hours already, it's just… how could he have not?

"You're making him cry, Louis, stop." Niall was half joking, but he did let go of Liam's hand with one of his to start playing with his hair again and Liam decided he could definitely get used to Niall babying him like this.

"Sorry, Ni, didn't mean to." They chuckled a bit, maybe over Niall and Liam being all over each other, but Liam didn't care that much actually, he was just overall happy, he knew that it was gonna take time before they could forget about all of this and not be scared anymore, but the most important part was that they had each other to get through this, and no matter how many nightmares Liam would have to cuddle away, he knew that in the end, they'd be fine.

Maybe these thoughts were what were giving him courage to tell the boys what he had kinda been planning on all day long, a day full of bad things that hadn't been just so bad anymore with Liam's own personal sun by his side. "You know… I've been wanting to tell you something… all of you."

"What is it?" Niall asked almost immediately, he seemed a bit panicked now but clearly relaxed against Liam when the older man smiled at him, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles before taking a breath. Well, Niall would surely be the most excited to hear about this.

"I've been thinking, that… I wanna quit, like I did a year ago, and only consult the victims. I don't think this is for me anymore, it was good and I loved doing this, but… I don't wanna risk anything else happening, I've always been afraid of something like this happening and then it did and… I just want Niall to be safe and I want fixed working hours so I can be home more and…" Stopping for a second, Liam turned his head now to directly look at Niall, seeing the boy's eyes having gone wide, seemingly more than surprised to hear all of this. "I wanna spend more time with you and… you know, our possible puppy because I kinda really wanna get one with you and… I mean, you don't have to, but… it'd probably be good if you'd fully move in with me, because, well, you know, puppies need a lot of attention and I-"

"And Liam does too." Louis interrupted, followed by a laughter from his boyfriend that Liam barely heard, he was only focused on Niall now, smiling softly at the boy as he squeezed his hand, waiting for a reaction from him not even finishing the sentence because well… it's not like Louis had bee so wrong.

It took a minute or two, the blonde boy seemed shocked as he stared at Liam with big eyes, almost having him worried for a moment when suddenly his eyes filled with tears, fingers gripping Liam's hair a bit too tightly. "I… I-I r-really want t-to… g-get a puppy and… m-move in with y-you, I… I l-love y-you s-so much, L-Liam… I'm s-so g-glad you're alright, I-I… I c-couldn't b-be without y-you…t-thank y-you… f-for e-everything… I-I'm s-so g-glad you're g-gonna quit, I-I w-was a-always s-so s-scared for y-you… s-sorry f-for c-crying, I j-just… c-can't h-help i-it, I'm s-so… h-happy... " 

"Shsh, I love you too, baby boy, I-" 

Before Liam was able to give a real answer, Niall had let out a sob before already having his lips pressed against Liam's, eager yet still gentle enough in order not to hurt him and the brunette man decided they could talk a little later, for now he just wanted to kiss Niall, smiling against his lips as he thought about how happy this had just made the boy. And how happy it was making him as well.

Liam was so glad he had finally made the right decision for once, he knew that it was different with Niall, that he wanted to give up his job, for the both of them, that he wanted a puppy and one day maybe even a real family with his boy. He was still young of course, but Liam could wait, he didn't mind, he was so sure that he was gonna marry Niall one day, without the pressure to propose this time, so sure that they were always gonna have each other's backs and stay together. And honestly, this was all he had ever wanted, and now he had it and he was gonna do everything in order to keep it that way.

Maybe it was Niall who always told Liam how thankful he was for everything, how much more happy he was now, but actually, Liam felt quite the same the other way around, suddenly feeling free to quit his job because now he knew that there was someone to come home to, someone who was waiting for him and loved him just as much as the other way around. And that's all Liam had ever wanted, he had thought he had had with his girlfriend, had always had hopes that it'd get better, telling himself it was right. But no, _this_ right here with Niall was right, and the boy had saved Liam just as much as the other way around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its done! cant believe i managed to finish it, tbh there where times when i thought i was gonna take 1 more month haha.
> 
> anyways, thank you all for always leaving me so many comments and kudos, i really appreciate every single one of them and im happy if you enjoyed the fic and hopefully also like the ending to this :) hopefully i wont be gone too long until my next fic!


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